Nothing Feels Good
by GhostfaceTV
Summary: Tori and Jade bond over emotional situations. A new friendship is struck, yet others will be tested. Can they all stick together? Rated M for sexual situations and adult themes. Storge/Slight AU.
1. The Quick Fire

**A/N: This is my first fic ever. I started actually reading fanfics only like 2 months ago, but wanted to write something since I haven't done so since high school. This will be a slow burner, so if you're in for the ride, I'll be glad to have you along.**

"The next person to steal one of my fries is going to lose a finger!" Tori exclaimed, hovering over her quickly dwindling lunch. Beck froze mid-air, bringing his arm back to rest at his side, giving Tori a reproachful look. Jade smirked casually, remembering some horror movie that was on late the night before, having a scene just like that. She imagined Tori being the one in the movie that lost her finger, and it made her smile stretch wide. Tori stole a quick glance, too afraid to even try to imagine what would make Jade smile like that

"What's everyone planning for this weekend?" Beck asked, turning his attention back to his own lunch of a pizza slice and bottle of water. He took a bite and lounged back, hands clasped behind his head, enjoying the cool breeze. It was nearing the middle of September, but there were still a few warm days left.

"I think there's a sale at Jamie's" said Cat, flipping through a magazine casually as she spoke. "I need to get some new fabrics and stuff for Sikowitz' class, I'm doing costume designs for his new production."

"Oh, the one about werewolf pirates?" Robbie asked, perking up from his PearPad at the mention. "I signed up for the lead, but I doubt I'll get it. I think Sikowitz hates me."

"I think everyone hates you" Jade spat, looking bored at the conversation. Robbie glanced at her with a frown, but when it looked like she might take a swing at him if he opened his mouth, he swallowed back the words and sat in silence.

At that moment, Andre crossed the Asphalt Cafe and plopped down in the seat next to Tori.

"Hey hey ladies and gents!" he called out to the table, beaming from ear to ear. "How is everyone doin' on this fine afternoon?" Andre took a quick bite from his sandwich, scanning the table animatedly.

"You seem like you're in a good mood" Tori commented, Andre's infectious smile reaching her as well. "What's the occasion?"

"We got our grades in Advanced Rhythm today, got an A for that song you sang last week at the Karaoke Dokie." Andre grinned even harder, patting Tori on the back gently.

"That's great Andre!" Tori and the rest of the gang chimed in at practically the same time. Everyone knew he was really talented when it came to writing his own songs, so it wasn't anything new that he got an A. Still, he seemed to be pleasantly surprised every time he did well. Beck reached over and clapped him on the shoulder in congratulations, while Jade made a "whoopdy doo" swirl motion with her finger.

"So Cat, do you need any help with the costume designs?" Tori asked between bites of her cheese fries.

"Sure Tori. If you want to come with me after school we can go to the fabric store together and then maybe go somewhere for dinner." Cat's eyes lit up as her smile took over her entire face. Tori's heart swelled a little at how cute she was, nodding while taking a drink of water.

"Sounds good Cat, I'll meet you by the door after last hour and we can go."

"YAY!" Cat got up and ran around to Tori, hugging her neck from behind. Tori just laughed and patted her arm, amused at Cat's excitement.

A few kids in the background were skateboarding while others ate, read or did homework. Tori watched a couple kids playing Chess a few tables down from theirs, even though she didn't really understand the game. Andre flicked through his PearPod a bit and popped an earbud in, gently swaying to some music while he finished up his sandwich.

"Hey Robbie," Beck motioned to him as he finished the last bit of his pizza, "you can come over to the RV after school and I'll help you with your lines for Sikowitz' play. Maybe that'll help your chances."

"Aww, that's so sweet of you" Robbie beamed, nailing the pre conceived notion of his awkwardness. Beck shook his head from side to side and chuckled a little under his breath.

The group continued with their lunches and conversation until the bell rang to get ready for the next class. Tori and Jade both had Screenwriting, Beck had Advanced Character Development, Andre and Cat had R&B Vocals and Robbie had Advanced Stage Workshop. Each said their goodbyes and headed off to their lockers to grab new books and put others away. Tori took the familiar route she took every day from the Asphalt Cafe to her locker in the main hallway by the front door, not in any particular rush since her next class was practically a few feet away from her locker.

On the way to her next class, Tori ran into Trina, who was apparently having a fit about not getting the lead female role in Sikowitz' new production. Tori slowed as she was about to pass, looking at Trina with a hint of concern, and an even bigger hint of amusement.

"Why didn't I get the role Sikowitz? You know I'm the most talented person in this school." Trina flipped her hair from her left shoulder to her right, and cocked her left hip to the side.

"I, uh, well Trina, you know...I have a class to teach!" Sikowitz raised his eyebrows as he sipped his coconut, quickly scurrying away from the distraught older Vega as the second bell rang to be in class.

"I'm not done with you yet Sikowitz!" Trina yelled after him, scooping up her bag and trotting along after him in her 5 inch heels.

Tori couldn't help but let out a sigh that was partially a laugh as she stepped into her classroom, finding her seat near the middle of the group of desks. Jade sat one row to the left and one desk up, and was already sitting cross-legged, holding a cup of coffee and waiting patiently for the teacher to start the lesson. Jade turned to reach down and grab something out of her bag, catching Tori's eyes as she looked back.

"Can I help you with something?" Jade scoffed, making Tori blush a little and snap her eyes down toward her desk. Had she been staring? If she was, she didn't realize it. If she had been, though, it begs the question: Why? Tori didn't know the answer, so she just chalked it up to boredom and grabbed her pen, ready to take notes.

Jade stared ahead at the white board while their teacher went on about prose in scripting. Every so often, she'd catch herself stealing sideways glances at Tori. Jade didn't care much for the newish girl, even though she'd technically hadn't done anything wrong. Maybe it was her obliviousness to her talent? Most people worked hard to be at Hollywood Arts, and Tori Vega just seemed to fall into Jade's school, Jade's circle of friends, without hardly batting an eyelash. Jade knew thoughts of resentment did nothing but stress a person out, and she didn't want to lose any more sleep, especially because of Tori Vega, so she put her thoughts of Tori in the back of her mind and tuned in for the rest of the class.

Their teacher gave them an assignment, a paper on the popularity of foreign films and why they are liked/disliked based on language barriers. Jade clicked her pen and began writing down the assignment and some notes, scribbling a few ideas she would work over more when she got home that afternoon. One of her favorite horror movies was from Japan, so she figured she would get a pretty decent grade on the paper.

Not long after, the bell rang and students started grabbing their bags and filing out of the classroom. Jade had Sikowitz next, so she wasn't in any real hurry, as she was late to his class all the time and Sikowitz never did anything about it. She turned and saw Tori struggling to get all her stuff together in a rush, most likely worried about being late and getting detention. Stifling a laugh, Jade walked over to the slender, tan girl and watched as she bustled.

"Its okay Vega, Sikowitz isn't gonna give you detention or anything if you're late, so you can take a breath and get your stuff in order."

"I can? That's a relief." Tori huffed out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, and collected herself a bit before finishing up putting her stuff in her bag. "I've been here for a while now so I figured my time of freebies was long gone."

"I have a way of getting Sikowitz to be cool. He never gives me detention, or Beck. We can walk in together, you'll be fine."

"A way, huh? That 'Jade' charm of a promise of claws and fangs in your face?"

Jade felt kind of stung by the comment, as she was actually trying to be decent to the girl. Not really feeling in the mood to chit chat anymore, Jade grabbed her bag and stalked off without another word. Tori looked up as the sound of Jade's boots clicking away reached the door, hearing the door open and shut. She knew the girl was a bit of a brood, but she expected her to take a joke better than that. Tori sighed, knowing that she was gonna pay for that remark in spades over the next few days. Jade was good at holding a grudge.

Tori grabbed her stuff and headed out the door of the classroom in the direction of her locker. When she got there, she found Cat standing next to it, staring at a blank spot on the wall with no expression on her face. Tori walked up to Cat slowly, trying not to scare her.

"Cat...? Cat?" She dragged the second one out a little bit.

"Oh, hi Tori. What are you doing here?"

"This is my locker Cat, what are you doing here?"

"I dunno" Cat giggled, swaying her skirt from side to side.

"Shouldn't you get to class then?" Tori asked, looking up at the clock and realizing the bell would sound any second.

"Kay kay, bye Tori!" Cat skipped off with a huge smile on her face, humming a tune Tori didn't recognize. Tori put a couple books in her locker and shut it softly, rounding the corner to Sikowitz' class just as the bell sounded. Upon taking her seat at the front of the class, Tori turned around to look for Jade, but she was nowhere to be found. "She's probably just a bit late" Tori muttered to herself, and turned back to face the front of the room. A few minutes later Sikowitz came in holding a box, setting it down on the floor in front of the class. As soon as he was about to speak, the door opened and Jade strode into the room, taking her seat next to Beck.

"Why thank you so much for gracing us with your presence Ms. West, although you should probably look into a time-telling device."

"I had to waz, sue me" Jade muttered nonchalantly, crossing her left leg over her right and sipping a new cup of coffee.

"Yes I would imagine you did, you drink more coffee than Juan Valdez." Sikowitz roared in laughter at his own joke, then suddenly stopped while a serious look spread across his features. "Okay children, answer me this: Who would like to..." Sikowitz paused to grab a sheet of paper from the box he had set on the floor, holding it up to the class, "...help in the promotion for my new production here at Hollywood Arts?" The students looked at the flyer. Some of them chuckled, some of them sighed, while Jade laughed out loud with abandon.

"Is the design too much?" Sikowitz asked, turning the flyer around to look at it, only to see what appeared to be a flyer for a gentleman's club, complete with scantily clad women and drink specials. "Oh, well then...sorry about that." Sikowitz folded the flyer and quickly put it in his pocket, then searched for the right one in the box. "Don't tell anyone you saw that." Sikowitz looked from student to student, sipping gingerly on his coconut.

"What do we have to do?" Beck asked, pointing at the now correct flyer Sikowitz was holding.

"I would like you all to split into teams of two and distribute these flyers to potential theater attendees" Sikowitz explained, draining his coconut and throwing it over his shoulder. "Whoever distributes their stack the fastest will get free tickets to the production for 4 lucky friends and family members. Be warned, don't try to throw them away and hang out for an hour and then come back thinking you'll win. I have eyes everywhere, and I will know if you cheat."

"Uh Sikowitz," Sinjin raised his hand slowly, "Do you really have ey-" Sinjin was cut off by Sikowitz looking him directly in the eye and shaking his head no, in a very clear way of saying "Don't ask." Sinjin slunk down in his seat and kept quiet.

"As far as the teams are concerned," Sikowitz turned his back towards the student and took a few steps before turning back quickly, shouting "ROBBIE-CAT, BECK-ANDRE, TORI-JADE, SINJIN-BURF!" A few of the students jumped at the loud noise, Jade groaned audibly and Beck and Andre high-fived. Robbie had a punch-drunk gaze directed right at Cat, who tried to smile sweetly, and Tori stared right at Jade, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

"Sikowitz, what about us?" one of the unnamed kids in the back asked. A few murmurs spread across the room.

"Oh yes, the rest of you. You never talk so I forget you're there sometimes. Pair with whoever you'd like."

"That's not fair!" Jade exclaimed, standing up to chase after Sikowitz.

"Can it, Jade" Sikowitz added swiftly, making a spinning motion with his finger for her to return to her seat. Jade sat down with a huff and looked over at Tori, who was still staring stupidly.

"WHAT" Jade yelled, causing Tori to jump and look away. This was going to be a very long afternoon. Sikowitz had each team pair up in the classroom and discuss how they wanted to distribute their stack of flyers. Tori got up and walked over to Jade, as it was very clear Jade wasn't going to move. As soon as Tori sat down, Jade perked up and looked her square in the face.

"Lets get this over with as quickly as possible, I have better things to do than run around with you all afternoon." Jade looked bored and annoyed, which ticked Tori off.

"You don't have to do anything Jade, I'll do it myself. I don't want to spend the afternoon with someone who doesn't want to be around me." Tori grabbed the stack of flyers from the seat next to Jade and walked back over to her seat.

"Vega, don't be like that, I'll help you."

"No, its quite alright Jade, I have better things to do than have you hound me all afternoon and criticize me about how I do everything wrong and get on your nerves. You can do whatever you want, just leave me alone."

Tori sat down and put the flyers into her bag, and stared toward the front of the classroom for the remainder of the hour. As soon as the bell rang, she grabbed her bag and headed quickly for the door. Jade turned in her seat and watched her go, a little pang of guilt building up in her stomach.


	2. This One or That One

Jade walked quietly out of Sikowitz' class, shocked at the way Tori had just passed her over. Jade was used to being the one doing the passing, not the one getting passed. _She's probably just stressed about a project or something_ Jade said to herself, although she didn't entirely believe it. Tori wasn't the kind of person to snap like that, she was always nice and polite to everyone. Hell, she was the kind of person to openly volunteer to take care of old people at retirement homes. Something was wrong, and Jade would find out.

Tori had walked out of the classroom quickly in an attempt to put as much space between herself and Jade West as she could. Devil woman! Who did she think she was to constantly treat Tori as terribly as she did? Tori had heard rumors about Jade's troublesome home atmosphere, but that's no excuse. Its not like she always had the best environment either. A lot of times she would hole up in her room while her parents tried to 'quietly discuss' their personal matters, which meant her mom yelling at her dad about how he's never home, and him yelling back at her that he's always working because they need money to keep up their lifestyle.

After depositing her books into her locker, Tori met up with Cat by the front doors of the school and headed off to Cat's car. She drove a little Sunfire that was as red as her hair, with pink and black seat covers that had Bunnies stitched into the center. Tori couldn't help but giggle, it was exactly the kind of thing Cat would go for. It smelled like strawberries and cream, probably from Cat's shampoo she usually bought, and everything had its place.

Cat slipped into the driver's seat and turned the key, bringing the engine to life. It idled low and quiet, almost like a purr. She plugged her PearPod into the stereo, handing it over to Tori. "Find something you want to listen to, I'm good with anything." After handing the PearPod over, Cat put the car in Drive and began navigating the parking lot traffic, waving at Beck as they passed him and Jade getting into his car.

Tori searched through the artists on the PearPod and decided on Katy Perry. As soon as the first song started up, Cat squeaked "I love this song!" and turned it up. Tori just smiled at her and turned her head towards the window, watching the trees fly by as they drove. Tori was still reeling from her encounter with Jade. She felt bad that she basically told Jade to go screw herself, but Jade did that to her every day. She shouldn't feel bad, but she couldn't help it, it was who she was.

Tori had dealt with bullies a couple times when she was younger for wearing glasses. Some of the boys would pick on her and call her four-eyes, and even though it made her sad, she still wouldn't be mean back to them. The reason she was sad in the first place was just because she wanted to be friends with everyone, and she didn't understand why some people seemed to want to hate her, even though she didn't do anything. Although her dad wasn't around a whole lot, her mom had always told her the same thing, "Live and let live, Tori. They'll come around sooner or later. And if they don't, you don't want to be friends with them anyway."

Cat looked over at Tori in-between songs, noticing Tori hadn't said anything since they got in the car. "What's the matter Tori?" she asked, brow furrowing a bit in concern.

"Oh its nothing Cat, I just don't understand why Jade has to be so mean all the time."

"Its not just you, Jade's mean to everyone sometimes. She has her moments though, and if you're lucky enough to catch one, you see why her friends stick around. Its not all bad."

"I know, but it just feels like she has a special hatred for me. I didn't even do anything to her, and she seems to get some kind of joy out of my misery. I've had people be mean to me before, but not like her. A lot of bullies are mean because they have low self esteem and stuff, Jade seems to be mean because she likes it."

"Yeah, she seems like a tough cookie, but she has a warm doughy center like the rest of us." Cat smiled at Tori briefly, then started singing along to the song that was playing. Tori looked at Cat in amazement. Cat definitely had her moments where she was pretty spazzy, but Tori believed there was a lot more to the spunky redhead than most people thought. She was small and cute and almost child-like at times, but Tori could sense a very centered adult in there somewhere.

A few minutes later Tori felt the car slow down and turn, and when she opened her eyes she realized they had reached their destination. Cat blurted out "Yay! Fuzzy things!" and took off toward the door at top speed. Tori laughed and closed her door, stopping to check her phone before she headed into the store. There was a text message; It was from Jade. Tori felt her stomach tighten a bit and her heart raced, but she had no idea why. She didn't have time to deal with it now, though, so she put the phone back in her pocket without reading the message and headed up to the store.

Cat was already knee deep in squares of fuzzy felt, and Tori couldn't help but smile when she saw how bright Cat's eyes were. She was really in her element, as costumes and makeup were Cat's favorite thing to do. Tori wasn't sure if that's what she wanted to do for a living, but she knew that every time there was a production at Hollywood Arts, Cat was doing costumes and makeup. Tori made her way over and asked Cat if she needed any help finding something specific.

"I need scarf material for the pirate costumes, and shaggy material for the werewolf costumes." Cat stood silently and held up a square of fabric next to Tori's face, comparing the color of the fabric with her eyes. "This will go over swimmingly. Haaaaa! Get it Tori? Swimmingly? Pirates, on the boat? Ahahaha."

Tori grinned from ear to ear. "Yes Cat, that was a good one." She patted her softly on the head and then went to find some silky material for scarves. Tori checked the next few aisles over, stopping when her eyes landed on the Sewing Machines. They reminded her of her mom, and so many times when she was young, making costumes for Halloween or some play that Trina was in. Since Tori's dad worked a lot, her mom usually kept busy working with her machine. Hemming the girls pants, fixing buttons, busy work. Tori slid her hand over a model that looked just like the one she had at home. She was glad to have fond memories of bonding with her mom, but it always reminded her that she didn't have that many memories with her dad, and it upset her.

Ready to put those memories back in the box, Tori rounded the next corner and found spools of silk fabric. She grabbed a few of different colors and made her way back to where she left Cat. When she got back around the front of the store, she spotted Cat with a basket full of all different colors of fabric, fabric scissors, assorted buttons and spindles of thread.

"Holy cow Cat, do you plan on buying everything you see?"

"I'm pretty sure it has to have a price tag on it for me to buy it Tori, so I don't think I'll be buying _everything_ I see." Cat shook her head like she was disappointed Tori wouldn't know something as simple as that, grabbing a few more things to put in her basket. "Okay, I think I have everything I need now. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm good to go when you are."

"Kaykay, lets go." Cat took her basket up to the first open register and started a quick conversation with the employee behind it. Tori's hand kept itching towards her pocket, subconsciously remembering the text message from Jade just waiting to be read. Not being able to take the suspense any longer, she opened up her phone and looked at the message.

_Tori: I'm sorry for making you feel bad. Its not my fault you're so sensitive. Take the chip off your shoulder and let me help with the project_

_-Jade_

Tori seethed with anger. The audacity of that woman made her blood run hot, and she was _definitely _not going to call her for help with the flyers. Tori didn't want to ruin her afternoon with Cat, though, so she put her phone away and tried to pretend like nothing was wrong. It was obvious though that Tori needed to work on her poker face, as when she got in Cat's car, Cat immediately asked her what was wrong.

"I got a text from Jade. It was a half-hearted apology that actually ended up blaming me. I don't understand how she does this all the time."

"You just gotta take her with a grain of salt sometimes" Cat cooed, putting a hand on Tori's knee and smiling at her before turning her eyes back to the road. "I've known Jade for a long time. She's been mean to me more times than I can count. But she also comes to me when she's sad, or excited. I don't think she knows how to vent her anger very well, so she ends up blowing up at her friends. Its not ideal, but we've all learned to let it go and try to help her without actually helping her, you know." Cat shrugged gently and searched for a song while they were stopped at a red light.

"I guess. I'm just not really used to it. Its only been a few months though, so I should give it some more time. I can't imagine how you've dealt with her for _years." _Tori leaned her head against the window of the passenger side door, watching a flock of birds fly over them. She was still the same old Tori, because even though Jade was horrible to her, she still wanted to be her friend. That meant forgiving even when it wasn't really deserved, and having to bite the bullet when she wanted to just scream right back at her. It wouldn't be easy, but Tori figured it would help the group dynamic to just go with the flow. Hopefully its not too much easier said than done.

Cat pulled into her driveway and turned the car off, unplugged her PearPod and got out. Tori got out as well, opening the back door to help Cat grab some bags. On the way up to the door, Tori got a good look at Cat's house. It was pretty big, white with olive green shutters and well manicured garden underneath a large picture window. The driveway widened up by the 3 car garage, holding a basketball hoop with lines painted like a court. Cat unlocked the door and they stepped inside the mud room. Each girl kicked her shoes off, and Cat opened the door to the inside of the house.

The entrance hall was beautiful. Dark hardwood floors and marble stairs, with a glass chandelier hanging above head. Large windows with white lace curtains and sleek black picture frames on the walls. The room opened up in four directions: To each side, to the front, and upstairs. The front path went directly under the stairs, while the two side exits had wide, arched doorways, and the stairs curved up along the wall on each side of the room.

"To the left over there is the kitchen and dining room" Cat pointed out, walking to the right side of the stairs. "Over here is the living room and screening room. Through that door under the stairs is the garage and backyard. Upstairs here are all of our bedrooms. Come on Tori, I'll show you my room." Cat made her way up the stairs, and Tori followed close behind.

"Wow Cat, this is amazing" Tori gawked, taking in the pink and white walls. High ceilings, big windows and a skylight made the room feel very open and aerated. Cat walked over to her bed and laid her bags down, then tossed her sweater over the back of her desk chair. After putting her hair in a ponytail, Cat grabbed the bags and dumped them out, discarding them to side and spreading the fabrics out on her duvet.

"Hey Tori, can I take your measurements real quick? You're pretty close to the size of the girls that have put in for the lead, so I can use you to get a good idea for shapes."

"Sure Cat" Tori said absentmindedly, walking slowly around the edges of Cat's room, taking in each of her little knickknacks and stuffed animals. The desk contained a laptop, a snow globe with the Eiffel Tower inside it, and a mug full of pens and pencils that said "You Rock!" on the side, decorated with musical instruments. "I like your room, it feels really...spunky."

"Ahahaha, spunky," Cat giggled as she wrapped a tape measure around Tori's hips, pinching it off at the edge and writing down the number in a small notepad. "I don't know, my parents told me I could do anything I wanted with my room, so I made it pink cause I like pink. Arms out please."

Tori extended her arms while Cat got her bicep and bust measurements, then decided to stay still so Cat could get all the measurements she needed at once. After a couple of minutes Cat walked over to her desk with the notepad in hand, finishing writing some numbers on her way. She laid the notepad down and grabbed a different pad of sketching paper, then headed over to her bed and pushed some of the felt out of the way, sitting down against her pillow. She grabbed a case of colored pencils off her bedside table, and began sketching an outline of a pirate costume.

Tori walked over to the window in the back right corner of the room and sat down on the bench, back pressed against the big pillow that was there. She stared out onto the street, watching multicolored leaves blow around in the breeze. A group of little kids were throwing a football around in a yard across the street, laughing and tackling each other. Tori watched for a few minutes, then turned back over to Cat, who was concentrating on filling something in with a red colored pencil, her tongue sticking just slightly out of her lips.

"Are the rumors true, Cat?" Tori asked, before even realizing what she was saying. Cat stopped what she was doing and looked up at Tori, slightly confused.

"What rumors? Have people been talking about my brother again? Because after last time-"

"No Cat," Tori cut in before she went off on a tangent, "I meant the rumors about Jade having a rough time at home. Is that why she's so mean all the time?"

Cat huffed out a breath and sat her pencil down, got off the bed and walked over to where Tori was sitting, taking a seat next to her on the bench.

"Well, Jade's dad isn't the nicest guy" Cat said slowly, twiddling her thumbs. "He's never been very supportive of Jade in school and stuff, thinks that she should focus on getting a real degree in something practical, and work on getting a real world job for security. He thinks all of the Hollywood stuff is a sham, and doesn't go to any of her plays or anything. Its really sad."

"That's awful" Tori added, her stomach feeling like it was folding in on itself. "As a parent you should support your child in whatever they want to do as long as its not harming to anyone." Tori realized she was picking at her nail polish, something she did when she was uncomfortable.

"Well, he thinks she's being harmful to herself by being reckless with her career choice" Cat explained, understanding that it was basically a catch 22.

"That's too bad. What about her mom?"

"Her mom is okay sometimes, she's just really short and not very affectionate. She's always arguing with her husband about not being a good father to Jade, but in turn she's making herself be not a good mother. I don't think she understands what she's doing by it though."

"Well, I understand how that can make you feel, your parents arguing and all, but she doesn't have to deal with it the way she does. We don't have perfect lives either, but we don't take it out on her."

"Everybody has their own way of dealing with things, I guess. She internalizes a lot, and after a while it comes out."

Cat walked back over to her bed and sat down where she was before, grabbing her sketch pad and returning to work. Tori pulled a Math book out of her bag and decided to get a bit of homework done while they were just hanging out. Occasionally Cat would hold up her pad and ask for Tori's opinion, and Tori would give her input. Then Cat would stare at the pad for a minute, collecting her thoughts, and dive back into the drawing.

After a few hours, Tori put her books away and zipped up her bag. She hugged her knees and kept looking out the window. It was starting to get dark, so she took a deep breath in, held it for a second, and let it out slowly, getting up from the windowsill. "I think we should head out now Cat, its starting to get dark."

"Kaykay, I'll put some of this away and take you home." Cat scooped up the fabrics and put them back in the bags, stowing it away in the cubby under her bedside table. She took the colored pencils and put them back on the table where she grabbed them from, grabbed her cell phone and keys, and headed for the door. She opened it and waited for Tori to walk through, closing it behind her as she followed.

The girls headed out to the car in silence, Tori's head was so full of images of Jade locking herself away from her parents' bickering, same as she always had. Maybe they had more in common than either of them knew? Tori got into the passenger seat and clicked her seatbelt into place, her hand holding her phone, thinking of sending Jade a reply. She took her phone out and went to the message, hit reply, but couldn't think of what to say. Cat was singing loudly to the song on the radio next to her, so Tori decided to put the phone away for now and join Cat in the chorus.

A few songs later, they were pulling into Tori's driveway as the sun was starting to paint large sections of orange and purple. Tori unbuckled her seatbelt and turned sideways in the seat facing Cat.

"Thanks for the afternoon Cat, I had a good time."

"Yay! I'm glad you had fun, we should do it again sometime. I just can't hang out on Thursdays."

"Why's that?"

"Well, these people came to my house a few weeks ago looking for my brother, about the same time a lot of animals in the neighborhood started disappearing. They said that we should pick a night of the week where we all have fun together. I'm not sure why, but they said something about it being a good thing for everyone in the neighborhood..."

Tori raised one eyebrow, choosing not to think of what Cat's creepy brother would be doing with strange animals. "Okay then, hit me up on The Slap and let me know if you want to do something." Tori smiled at Cat and got out of the car, standing at the head of the driveway waving until Cat was out of sight. She then turned heel to the front door and headed inside.

Her mom was in the kitchen finishing up some final preps for dinner. Trina was sitting on the couch watching TV, and her dad seemed to be missing. Not an uncommon thing, but it did upset her when the whole family couldn't be together. Tori kicked off her shoes and headed over to the sink to wash up, then found her spot at the table.

"Hey mom."

"Hi Tori, how was school?"

"Good, I went to Jamie's with Cat after school to help her out with some costume stuff for Sikowitz' new production."

"That man is a hack!" Trina yelled, obviously still upset she didn't get the lead role.

"Just because you didn't get what you want does not mean the man is a hack" Tori's mom added, giving Trina a stern but loving look.

"She's doing costumes and makeup, so we headed to get some fabric samples and sewing stuff. She took my measurements as a base and sketched out some ideas. We hung out and talked, I got some homework done. It was fun."

"Well I'm glad you had fun sweetie."

Tori's mom walked over and sat down a final bowl of string beans, and found her own chair. She called Trina over for dinner, and the three of them settled in to their meal. About 10 minutes in, Tori's dad came in the front door, looking exhausted.

"Glad to see everyone waited for me."

"You're usually always late David," Tori's mom commented, "you shouldn't fault your lovely ladies for trying not to starve."

She laughed softly like it wasn't meant to sting, but her smile faltered quickly when her husband wasn't looking. Tori caught her mom's eye, smiling weakly to try and raise her spirit.

"Hey dad," Tori called over, "how was work?"

"Same as always kiddo. Crime never stops, so I'm never out of work."

"Well I guess that's a good thing, job security" Tori joked half-heartedly, gleaning a sad understanding of the double-edged nature of his comment.

"I'd rather spend a little more time at home, if we could afford it. I kinda miss my family."

Tori caught her mom shoot her dad a disproving look, and tried to eat hurriedly so she would be able to split upstairs before the tension got any heavier. Trina took a bite of her potatoes and pointed her fork at her dad as she chewed.

"Dad, I need some cash to go shopping with Melanie in Beverly Hills this weekend. There's some sales we want to hit and my allowance is gone."

"Already? How did you manage to blow all of it in two days?"

"I needed some clothes for school."

"Okay, so you got some. Why do you need more money for clothes if you just got some?"

"Those were school clothes dad, I need some other clothes for dates and stuff."

Tori's face was hot, and before she could stop herself, she managed to get out "God Trina, can't you just deal with what you have?"

"Excuse me?"

"Its mostly your fault dad is gone constantly, working more overtime hours than a person should. You're trying to bleed him dry for yourself."

"Mind your own business, brat. If he didn't _want_ to give me money, he wouldn't."

Tori had dropped her fork and was staring pointedly at her sister. How could one person be so selfish and ignorant? Suddenly at a loss for appetite, Tori pushed her plate forward and sat back, a disgusted look on her face.

"Don't give me that Tori," Trina spat at her, "you ask him for money too."

"I get my allowance Trina, same as you. I don't ask for what I don't deserve."

"Deserve?" Trina's eyes narrowed at her younger sister. "I do good in school and stay out of trouble, how do I not deserve some recognition for that?"

"You're a solid C student in core classes, and you can barely pass as a mediocre actress. I wouldn't call you a bundle of accomplishment."

"Alright, alright, cool it girls." Tori's dad sounded tired, maybe even a little defeated.

"No, she's not gonna get away with being a bitch to me, I didn't do anything to her."

"Trina that's enough," her mom added, "if you're not gonna let it go and be pleasant, get away from my table."

"Your table?" Tori's dad raised his eyebrows at his wife.

"Our table, you know what I meant."

"This is ridiculous" Trina yelled, standing up from the table. "I don't have to put up with this. I'm going to Melanie's."

Trina stood up from the table so fast her chair almost fell over. She marched straight upstairs without a word, and reappeared about two minutes later with a bag. Tori turned in her chair to see her sister putting on her shoes, phone glued to her ear. "Yeah, I'm heading over now, I'll be there soon." Trina opened the front door, walked through and slammed it, not bothering to look back at her family.

Tori looked at her parents, both were staring down at their plates, eating in a tense silence. No one even tried to strike up another conversation, so Tori grabbed her plate and took it to the kitchen, cleaned it off, and headed up to her room. She didn't even make it there before she heard her parents start on each other. Shaking her head, Tori grabbed her laptop and checked her messages on The Slap. Beck and Jade were hanging out at Beck's RV. Andre was writing music at home. Robbie was out to dinner with his family, and Cat was finishing up some sketches in her notepad. Tori didn't feel like updating her status with what had just happened, so she closed her laptop softly and decided on going for a walk.

20 minutes later Tori had geared up with a hoodie, her PearPod, some black yoga pants and a comfy pair of running shoes. She headed downstairs quietly and slipped out to the side door to the garage. Her parents were still arguing when she got down there, and she managed to hear a few lines before she got out.

"What do you want me to do, Holly? If I work any less than I am now, we're going to fall behind. We both make decent salaries, but with the mortgage on this house, the 4 cars, pool maintenance, allowances...we're stretched thin."

"I don't know David, but it would be nice to have someone around once in a while."

"Oh, so Andrew isn't enough?"

"Excuse me? How dare you!"

"Don't pretend like I don't know he's been coming over here when the girls are gone," David cut in hotly, shaking his head, trying to get his wife to look him in the eye. "He's my partner for fuck's sake Holly, I've known the man for 25 years. He's been hiding something from me, and the neighbors have told me they've seen his car parked down the street a few times."

Tori couldn't handle hearing anymore, so she opened the door quickly and fled to the sidewalk, not even bothering to stretch. After 20 minutes or so of jogging, her absentmindedness came back to bite her in the form of a charlie horse. She decided to take a rest at the coffee shop she was passing, stopping outside and putting her foot up on one of the table benches to stretch her leg. After Tori had sufficiently stretched both legs, she figured a nice hot coffee might be soothing to her insides, so she went around front to buy one.

"What are you doing here?"

Tori had almost run face first into Jade West.

"I needed to get out, forgot to stretch before my run, got a leg cramp."

"Typical" Jade mused, sounding mildly entertained.

"Whatever, Jade."

Tori went up to the window and ordered a decaf coffee with french vanilla creamer. Grabbing her coffee, she rounded back to the table she had stopped at originally, sitting down to enjoy her beverage in peace. Jade rounded the corner a second later, burning a quizzical look into the back of Tori's head.

"What's up your ass, Vega?"

"You are, Jade. I'm not in the mood to deal with your general pissy-ness towards the world."

Jade wasn't sure what to do. Tori looked really upset, and while normally that wouldn't phase Jade, she had a look in her eyes that reminded her of herself. She sat down quietly, stopping briefly when Tori looked up at her, but Tori shook her head yes and Jade took the seat. Jade gripped her own coffee tightly, trying to choose her words for the situation carefully.

"Look Tori, I may be an ass sometimes. Well, a lot of the time. But it doesn't mean I can't be civil when someone is having a real problem. So tell me what's up."

"My sister is a selfish bitch and my parents won't stop fighting."

Tori's eyes filled with tears, but she tipped her head back a little to keep them from spilling out. She took a sip of her coffee, basking in the hotness that covered her insides. It was like a security blanket to a child. Jade's eyebrows raised just a hair, almost unnoticeable, as she looked over the fragile girl in front of her.

"I know what that's like, the parents fighting thing. Happens at my house every day. Has for years."

"Does it ever get better?"

"Sometimes they'll let off for a bit, be civil to each other. But that only lasts a week or so. My dad will do something stupid and my mom will get upset, and they'll start yelling at each other all over again."

"That sucks, I'm sorry."

"I've learned to deal with it, I'm sure you will too."

"I don't want to deal with it, I just want things to go back to the way there were."

"Don't we all Vega, don't we all..."

Jade stared off into the distance for a few minutes. Tori watched her carefully. It did seem like there was a nice person in there somewhere, buried beneath the walls of protection she had built up over the years. The longer Tori sat there and looked at the girl, the more she felt panic rising in her chest. Panic that she would end up being just like Jade if the fighting continued. It scared her to death, and she stood up from the table too fast, getting dizzy and crashing back down into her seat.

"Take it easy Tori" Jade scolded, getting up and moving to the bench Tori was sitting on. "You look like you've just seen a ghost or something."

"I don't think I can put up with this much longer."

"Come on Vega, you can sleep at my house tonight. My parents are gone so it'll be quiet, and your parents will have some time to try to work out whatever they have going."

"Um, are you sure Jade?"

"Yeah, lets go before I change my mind."

Tori grabbed her coffee and walked down the street a bit with Jade until they reached Jade's car. She slipped quietly into the passenger seat and clicked her seatbelt into place, leaning her head against the window.


	3. Confusing Possibilities

**A/N: If anyone wants to be able to reach me for ideas or complaints between chapters, you can PM if you want, but you can also message me on AIM (fleshis4zombies) or Yahoo! (timebombsonfaultlines) and we can talk it over.**

It only took about fifteen minutes to get from the coffee shop to Jade's house, yet Tori had almost fallen asleep against the window during the ride. Jade parked the car in her usual spot and gently shook Tori to wake her up. Tori felt the warm, pale-skinned hand touch her knee, and electricity shot through her her body, causing her to sit up straight immediately.

"Sorry, did I scare you?"

"No, its fine, I didn't mean to nod off like that."

"You seem worn out, Vega. Let's get you inside."

"Thanks" Tori muttered, struggling to gather enough energy to get out of her seat.

Tori couldn't see much of the house or anything around it because it was dark, but from what she could see in outlines, the West house looked just as nice as the Valentine residence. A tall brick structure, vines growing up the walls in every direction. Jade led Tori around the front and singled her house key out on the keyring, opening the door quietly even though the house was empty.

They stepped inside and slipped their shoes off by the door, and Jade led Tori through the living room into the kitchen. The living room looked really spacious, with a sectional sofa on one wall and 2 recliners on the other, with a flatscreen TV opposite. Tori saw what looked like maybe white carpet, and a glass table in front of the sectional with some magazines scattered on it.

The kitchen looked like the room where people spent most of their time in the house. Hardwood floors with dark granite countertops, matching cupboards with marble handles and a big island in the center of the room. Big spoons and whisks hung from the island top, as well as the smaller pots. There was a bowl of fresh fruit on the edge of the counter, and Jade crossed over to it, plucking a banana from the bunch and handing it to Tori.

"Here, eat this to settle your stomach a bit, then we'll head upstairs and change, maybe put on a movie or something."

"Why are you doing this for me Jade?"

Jade slowed almost to a stop and kind of stutter stepped. While she was expecting this kind of reaction from Tori, the question still kind of startled her. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat on a stool opposite of Tori.

"Like I said, I know what the whole parents fighting thing is all about, and I always appreciate it when I can get out of the house during. Its no big deal."

"I know its probably killing you to have me here right now, so I appreciate it."

"Ugh, you're so dramatic. Finish that and let's go."

Jade grabbed her water and stormed out the other exit of the kitchen leaving Tori behind. Tori panicked a little since she hadn't ever been to Jade's house and didn't know her way around, so she took her last bite and scanned the room quickly for the trash can, tossing the peel in it as she passed. The side exit from the kitchen led down a long hallway with dark wallpaper and fluffy carpet, eventually leading to a staircase that went down. She caught the tail end of Jade's foot as she turned to head down the stairs, so she jogged hastily after her.

As she entered Jade's room, Tori was pleasantly surprised to find a pretty normal setup. A queen sized bed in the middle of the wall on the far left with tables on each side, each with a small lamp. A flatscreen TV mounted on the far right side of the room sat above a wall to wall shelving unit that played host to tons of little things. Records, DVDs, CDs, Books, knickknacks, you name it. On the wall facing the door was a long solid oak desk, complete with a laptop, reading lamp and few notebooks and pens. Across from the desk was a large walk-in closet and her own bathroom.

"Here" Jade tossed some clothes on the edge of her bed for Tori. "You can change into those and look through the DVD rack to see if there's anything you want to watch."

"Thanks Jade."

"Don't mention it. Seriously. If you tell anyone about this I'll tie your hair to the back bumper of my car."

"I got it, I got it, geez."

Tori grabbed the Pjs and headed for the bathroom to change. She closed the door over and looked in the mirror. She really did look a little rundown, like some sleep would do her good. Tori slipped not-so-elegantly out of her yoga pants and into the pajama bottoms that Jade had given her. They were a straight black fleece material, which felt nice and warm. She slipped her shirt off much easier and set it aside, grabbing one of Jade's brushes to run through her hair to get the tangles from running out. As she was brushing, Jade pushed the door open, walking in with her eyes on her phone.

"Uh...Jade?"

"Oh, shit, sorry Vega." Jade looked up and saw that Tori was standing in her bathroom in just a bra and pajama bottoms. Both girls turned a little red and Jade hurried out of the room, shutting the door tight. Tori grabbed the PJ top Jade gave her and pulled her hoodie back on, running her fingers through her hair quickly then heading back into the room.

"You shoulda closed the damn door all the way" Jade said, turning the bed sheets down.

"I didn't think you forgot that I was here within 5 minutes" Tori stated plainly, grabbing the other side to help. "You saw me go in there. Were you trying to sneak a peek or something, Jade?" Tori shook her hips a bit as she pulled the sheet down, looking Jade square in the face with an eyebrow cocked.

"I want to hurt you right now."

Tori giggled a little hysterically to herself as she walked over to the DVD collection in the shelving unit under the TV, not knowing where the joke came from, and wondering if Jade would do something to her in her sleep. After squashing the idea and quickly realizing that Jade's collection was mostly Horror movies, she resolved to finding the one that had the least amount of blood on the cover, hoping it wouldn't be that bad.

"Not a bad choice Vega, I didn't take you for the mindfuck type."

"It was the case with the least amount of blood, I figured it might not be as bad as the rest of them. I'm not really a horror fan."

"Well golly gee, I never woulda guessed perfect Tori Vega didn't like blood and violence!" Jade practically yelled out, using her special Tori-mocking voice.

"I don't talk like that!" Tori yelled back, crossing her arms with a pout on her lips.

Jade smiled at the look on Tori's face, popping the movie into the DVD player and returning to the bed. Each girl slid into their own side, fluffing some pillows up behind their backs to sit up and watch the movie.

About 45 minutes later, 2 people had died and the main character was slowly unraveling minute by minute. Tori had slid down so the covers were partially covering her face, a little freaked out at the guy's instability. Jade on the other hand, was rapt with attention, staring at the screen hungrily. Tori couldn't help but think Jade looked kind of beautiful when she was happy and interested in something, for real, and caught herself staring a bit. Jade looked over and saw her, raising an eyebrow when Tori snapped her eyes back to the screen as soon as they made contact with her own.

"How's the movie, Vega? Ready to go home yet?"

"That guy is creepy" Tori said, pointing a finger at the screen.  
"You're such a wuss. He didn't even kill them violently, just some sedatives and poison. He's pretty low on my list of favorite killers."

"You have a list of favorite killers? Why does that not surprise me?"

"Everyone has their thing Tori, mine happens to be death."

Jade looked Tori square in the face, a smile shining from ear to ear at the horrified and disgusted look Tori was sporting at that moment. Tori just shook her head and rolled away from the screen, cracking a smile of her own when she knew Jade couldn't see.

What seemed like a few minutes later, Tori woke to the sound of Jade's alarm clock. Jade was already up, stepping out of the bathroom as Tori sat up on the edge of the bed.

"Mornin'"

"Don't even start, Vega."

Clearly, Jade was not a morning person.

"Hurry up and do what you need to do in the bathroom, then I'll drop you off at home so you can get a change of clothes."

"Alright, shouldn't take long."

"Whatever."

Tori brushed her teeth quickly with one of those mini hotel toothbrushes, discarding it in the trash when she was done. Her hair was a mess, so she ran Jade's brush through it a few times to try and tame the beast, then changed back into the clothes she was wearing the night before. As she walked out of the bathroom, Tori saw Jade blow her last bit of smoke out and shut the window.

"Jade, you smoke?"

"Yes miss priss, I do."

"Why? Its bad for you, and it stinks."

"If you don't stop talking right now I'm going to punch you."

Tori decided it would be best to leave it alone, at least until Jade had her first cup of coffee. After Jade brushed her teeth, the girls headed out to Jade's car and strapped in, and after an awkwardly silent 20 minute drive they were arriving at Tori's house.

"Thanks for letting me stay, and the ride."

"Yeah yeah, get out of my car."

"Whatever, Jade."

Tori scoffed at Jade and slammed her door, walking around to the side door she snuck out the night before and quietly making her way up to her room. It was early, 6am, so Tori's parents were just about to get around. Tori slipped into her room just as she heard her parent's door open and close, huffing out a breath. She wasn't particularly worried about getting caught, and although she hadn't really snuck out, it still felt like a bad thing. Overall, she just didn't want to have to confront her parents about the household problems so early in the morning. Besides, if they had noticed she was even gone, she was sure they'd know why.

Tori planned on having to fight her sister for the bathroom, before remembering that her sister wasn't even home. Pleasantly surprised, she stripped down, throwing the layers into the laundry basket, and walked nude into the bathroom. She turned the water on really hot, hoping to flush out all of the bad vibes over the past 24 hours, and start her Friday fresh.

After stepping out of the shower, Tori wrapped herself in a towel and headed to her room to change. She chose some skinny jeans with a jeweled belt, brown boots and a layered top consisting of a white tank top with a yellow one shoulder over it. She straightened her hair quickly before she got dressed, put on a light layer of foundation, some mascara and a light purple eyeshadow, then headed downstairs to grab a small breakfast before heading to school.

Jade took off to the coffee shop she had run into Tori at the night before to grab her morning fix. With liquid caffeine safely in hand, she headed over to Beck's house to see if he wanted to ride with her to school. When she pulled up to his house however, there was another car blocking the driveway. Jade parked on the side of the road and walked past the house to Beck's RV, where he was standing outside chatting up a blonde haired woman Jade didn't know.

"Leave, slut" Jade commanded, and with a 'who do you think you are' look, the blonde turned back to Beck and started talking again. "I said," Jade put emphasis on it this time, "leave. Now."

"Lay off Jade, we're just talking."

"Oh really? Then I suppose you'll be taking her to school as well?"

"I don't go to school, honey" the blonde shot back, a mildly amused look on her face.

"I see," Jade shook her head sarcastically, "what exactly _do_ you do then?"

"I'm the fashion editor at Teen Vogue."

"Hunting season doesn't start for another few weeks Beck, better watch how you trap those Cougars."

"Jade..."

"No really Beck, I can see you're busy. I'll see you at school."

"No need to run off Wednesday," the still unnamed blonde poked, "I have to go to work. I'll talk to you later then, Beck?"

"Sure."

The blonde turned hip and walked past Jade, making sure to look right into her still sleep-dulled blue eyes and smile as bright as she could. Jade looked pointedly at Beck.

"Really?"

"Come on Jade, she wants to interview me for her piece on upcoming Hollywood talent" Beck explained, trying to show softened features to disarm Jade's anger.

"I'm sure she _really_ wants to interview you, because she's _so_ interested in what you have to say."

"What's that supposed to mean, Jade? Just because some girls find me attractive doesn't mean I rely on it. I'm as smart and capable as you are." Beck looked stung by Jade's assumption, running his hand through his hair and walking back to the RV.

"You know I wasn't implying that on purpose" Jade jabbed sardonically.

"Yeah well that's the thing Jade. You do a lot of things not on purpose, but the fact is they still happen. Even if you don't mean to come off snappy, or you're just trying to 'protect me from predatory animals,'" Beck air quoted the last part of the line, "you come off as a jealous girlfriend that wants to keep her boyfriend under wraps, because that's what you are. Frankly, I'm tired of it. I want to be able to have girl friends without having to constantly watch my back to see if you're coming when I talk to them. I want to be able to tell a girl when something she's wearing complements her figure. Not every comment has to be flirtatious, but you seem to think that I'm after everyone but you. Its exhausting. Even when I do choose to spend my time with you, half of it you look like you're so bored you're gonna fall asleep, even when we're doing something you decided on, and the other half you're complaining about my choice of a date being something you hate. A relationship isn't supposed to be laborious. Sure, it require a little work to flourish, but it shouldn't be a full time job, Jade"

Beck grabbed the handle of the RV door and shook his head slightly at Jade, wondering if she was going to come back with some half-assed apology like usual. Jade wasn't sure what to say. She stood staring blankly at the handsome, chiseled face in front of her. There was pain in his eyes, and Jade felt slathered in guilt. After a few moments of just staring, Beck opened the door, walked in and shut it behind him. Jade felt confused, like she just came to offer her boyfriend a ride to school, and ended up setting him off on her like she was the worst person in the world. Not knowing what exactly to do, Jade turned and walked to her car, getting in and sitting in the driver's seat. Deciding she didn't want to take the scene with her to school, Jade tried to bury it back, sipping her coffee and starting the engine.

When Jade finally arrived at Hollywood Arts, she parked her dark purple Spyder and headed toward the front doors. Robbie walked up with Rex in hand, but Jade put up one of her own in a 'stay out of my way' statement. Robbie hung his head while Rex laughed at his humiliation. The path to Jade's locker was clear, so she made her way over to get her bag situated for the day.

Tori stood at her locker across the main entrance, closing it and looking up as Jade walked in. She noticed Jade's skirt was a little ruffled, and Jade herself seemed to be in a worse mood than normal. Tori walked over to Jade's locker, swinging her legs playfully and smiling at her. Her smile faltered as soon as Jade turned around and looked her full in the face. She noticed Jade's eyes were a dull red, and stress lines were forming around the edges. Jade looked at Tori in an almost quizzical way, before hiking up one of her eyebrows and cocking her hip.

"Are you going to stare all day or do you want something?"

"Are you okay, Jade? You seemed fine when you dropped me off this morning."

"Yes Vega, I'm fine. Is there anything else?"

"Um, well I guess...text me if you want to talk about it."

"Hold your breath until I do."

Jade stalked off to her first class, which was Playwriting, and Tori sauntered off to R&B Vocals without running into any of her other friends. It was amazing how Jade seemed to yo-yo with her, wanting to help one second and wanting to bash her head against the wall another. Tori remembered what Cat had told her about Jade being that way with everyone sometimes, so she put it aside and walked into her classroom.

A quick lesson on Harmonies left Tori working with Andre in a corner of the classroom. The pair sang a couple songs by Boyz 2 Men and Mariah Carey before the bell signaled class change. Tori picked up her bag and said bye to Andre who nodded his head with a smile, then headed towards her Pop Music class, which was right down the hall.

As soon as she walked out of her first class, she walked right into the side of Beck.

"Oh god I'm sorry! Oh, hey Beck."

"Hey Tor."

"Why the long face?"

"This stuff with Jade's got me down. She's always on my case about me, what _I'm_ doing, but she doesn't ever take any time to look at herself."

"Oh...what happened?"

Beck looked Tori in the eye and changed his demeanor immediately. "Oh, uh, nothing really. She just kind of went off at me this morning when I didn't even do anything. Almost ruined my chance at a magazine interview."

"I'm sorry. Did you fix it, the interview?"

"Yeah it's still on, but the fact that she could have ruined it with her jealousy over nothing just makes me..."

Beck trailed off and ran his fingers through his hair. Tori watched as the exhausted boy blinked slowly, then tried to return a polite smile to face, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Sorry to put that on you there, Tor, I'll figure it out. Thanks for listening,"

"Anytime."

So that's what Jade was upset about. She was jealous about Beck talking to someone about an interview. Jade wasn't the kind of person to measure fame, though, so Tori figured it must have been a girl. A pretty girl. With no real evidence for her theory and no real drive to ask questions, Tori figured it would be a better idea to let it go for now, and deal with it when, and if, Jade decided she wanted to talk about it.

Tori's next two classes flew by. Pop Music, then a core Science class. The bell rang after her third class, signaling lunch time. Tori walked into the main entrance area where her locker sat and opened it, fitting her bag into the bottom and grabbing some money out of her wallet before shutting the door. When she turned to head out to the Asphalt Cafe, Andre and Cat bobbed up to her amidst a seemingly awkward conversation.

"Cat, I'm telling you girl, no one wants to watch a silent movie about plant growth."

"Sure they do. I went to a film festival once with my parents that had a silent movie where a tumbleweed blew through the desert for fifteen minutes. Everyone at the festival clapped really loudly and said what a genius the director was."

"If you say so, Cat. I'm just lookin' out for you."

"Hey guys" Tori interjected, stuffing her money into her pocket with a bit of a struggle.

"Hey hey chica, we're goin' to grab some lunch, you comin' with?"

"Sure."

The three of them walked out the doors to the cafe, stopping at the Grub Truck to get some food. Tori grabbed a chicken caesar salad, Andre grabbed a turkey and cheese sub and Cat grabbed a slice of cheese pizza. They sat at their normal table and started eating, having a casual conversation about maybe seeing Kanye West live in a few months. Robbie strode over casually with Rex and sat down at the table, finishing up the last bit of a hot dog. Tori looked around slowly, but Beck nor Jade were within eyesight. She wondered where the two might have gone, knowing about their little skirmish that morning.

"Hey Robbie, how are you and Cat doing in that Special Effects class?" Andre asked casually.

"I think we're doing well" Robbie answered, looking towards Cat who nodded in approval as she chewed. "We're learning about green screen effects right now, and after this week we start on practical effects, which is like sparks and smoke and stuff."

"Cool, let me know how it goes. I always wanted to know how they did that scene in Rager where the guy made sparks fly from his feet as he chased the killer."

"Tori!" Trina yelled, walking over to her table. "Tell mom and dad that I'll be gone for the weekend, I'm going to San Diego with Melanie. I tried to call them but neither one of them answered their phone."

"Okay." Trina stalked off without another word.

"What was that about?" Andre asked, turning in his seat to face his best friend.

"There was a bit of a scene in my kitchen last night. Trina stormed out with a bag, and now I guess she plans on staying away for a while. No skin off my back."

"You alright? Need to talk about it or anything?" Andre could see a hint of upset behind the animated exterior.

"I think I'm okay for now, but I'll let you know if I do." Tori smiled at Andre and he returned it, and they finished their lunches quietly after that.

The group exchanged smiles and 'see you laters' on their way to their lockers. Before Andre headed out, he stopped Tori with a hand on her shoulder. "Hey Tor, I have an assignment due for Music Theory next Monday, and I figured we could kill two birds with one stone. If you want to sing my new song with me, we can get practice for R&B Vocals, and I can perfect my project."

"Sure Andre, sounds fun."

"Alright then. How about an hour after school? I'll text you my address."

"I'll be there" Tori said excitedly, and Andre waved as he headed in the other direction.

As Tori was getting ready for her next class, she remembered that she had Screenwriting next with Jade. When she entered the room, Jade was already sitting in her desk, head leaned against her fist and eyes closed. Tori walked by quietly and sat down in her own desk, slowly grabbing her notebook and a pen.

Jade peeked ever so slightly when Tori walked by, noticing the vanilla perfume. She also noticed the effort to which the tan girl made to be quiet and not disturb her, which made her smile. Jade grabbed her PearPhone and opened up a new text message, typed it up quickly before the bell rang and sent it.

The teacher continued their lesson on prose and how it can make or break a script. Tori paid as much attention as she could, but the morning hump was getting the best of her. She kept slipping in and out, missing a few sentences at a time, which ended up making her lose her concentration completely. While their teacher wrote on the white board, Tori pulled out her PearPhone and checked her messages. She saw the new message from Jade waiting in her inbox, and looked up at the raven-haired girl. She was sitting cross-legged, swirling her left foot around in circles, twirling a pen around her thumb. Tori looked back down to her phone and selected the message.

_Hey so, my parents are still gone if you want to come over after school. -Jade_

Tori read the message again. And again. She looked back up at Jade, who by this time had seemed to become just as bored as Tori was moments ago, slouching generously to the side, most likely with her eyes closed. Tori sent back a reply :

_I'm meeting up with Andre after school to work on some music projects. But maybe after that? I'll text you when I'm leaving his place. -Tori_

Jade's phone buzzed in her pocket, so she reached down to grab it while the teacher was distracted at her desk. She read Tori's message, turning around in her seat briefly to nod an okay. Tori smiled and continued with her writing assignment until the bell rang.

Sikowitz' class and study hall went by quickly for the group as well, and before Tori knew it the final bell was ringing. She stopped to tell Andre she would be at his place in about an hour and a half, and he responded with a high five. Tori caught Jade's eyes as she passed on her way to the door. She flashed Jade a kind smile, which Jade sort of accepted, but walked out of the room before Tori could say anything.

Tori headed out to her car and plugged her PearPhone into the stereo, turning on some Ronald Jenkees to keep her mood up. The drive home was especially quick for a Friday, so Tori decided to have some hot chocolate and catch up on a little bit of TV before she texted Andre that she was on the move. After an intense episode of Homeland, Tori pulled her shoes back on and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, expecting it to hit room temperature by the time she reached Andre's place.

Andre grabbed his keyboards and set them up in the living room. Technically on paper it was his grandma's place, but Andre was paying for it with money he'd made selling hip-hop beats to local up and comers. Soon after he'd plugged everything in, Tori knocked gingerly at the front door.

"Hey hey" Andre called as he opened the door, letting Tori inside.

"Hey Andre, nice setup."

"Thanks, it does the job."

It was an open floor plan condo with large bay windows and old wood flooring. The walls were brick and the ceilings were high, and with lots of draft room the place felt a little chilly. The living room, kitchen and dining room were all situated in one large room. A black leather couch with a solid oak table sat in front of a flatscreen with a PS3 plugged into it. The kitchen had a small island with a cutting board and some spices, and the dining room held a modest two person table. To the side of the kitchen was a short hallway with a door on each side for their bedrooms, and a door at the end for the bathroom.

Tori walked over and took a seat on one of the stools in front of the dual keyboard setup. Andre queued up a few tracks for them to work with on his laptop plugged into the left side keyboard, then hit play on a stereo remote to start a vocal exercise CD. About a minute into the first exercise, Andre's grandma flew out of her room in a panic.

"ANDRE! WHAT'S ALL THAT NOISE?"

"Calm down grandma, it's just me and Tori warming up our voices."

"WELL IT'S CREEPIN' ME OUT ANDRE. THERE WAS SOMEONE IN MY ROOM LAST NIGHT."

"That was me grandma, you asked me to bring you some tea but you fell asleep before I got it to you."

"OKAY." Andre's grandma turned around and walked back into her room quickly without saying anything else. Tori and Andre exchanged worried glances, then Andre unpaused the CD so they could continue.

While they sang, Andre looked over at Tori, amazed at the power of her voice from such a petite body. She closed her eyes and swayed side to side, singing effortlessly. Andre couldn't help but take the opportunity to look her over. His eyes traced from her lips to her neck, past her breasts and smooth midriff, stopping at her curvy hips and toned thighs. When the song ended, Tori opened her eyes and looked at Andre, who was practically almost drooling over her figure. She gave him a confused look, and he quickly sucked his tongue back into his mouth and sat up straight.

"That was great Tori."

"Thanks Andre" she replied, eyeing him sideways as he hit a series of buttons on the keyboard and laptop. It seemed like he was checking her out, she thought, which seemed odd to Tori, because their friendship had always been so strong, and so platonic.

Shortly after that they decided to wrap it up. Andre was really excited about the recordings he had gotten of the two of them together, and Tori told him she was happy to help. She grabbed her purse and keys and headed out the front door to her car. She got in the driver's seat and clicked her seatbelt into place, then took out her phone and sent a text to Jade.

_Hey Jade, I'm leaving Andre's house now. Still want to hang out? -Tori_

She started the car and plugged her PearPhone into the stereo once more, looking for something to listen to. Shortly after her text message tone sounded through the car speakers, and she stopped to read the message.

_Sure, I'll meet you at my place in 15. -Jade_

Tori put the car in drive and pulled off the curb in the direction of Jade's house.

Jade hit traffic on the way to her house as it was rounding five in the afternoon. She ended up getting stuck on the express way between her favorite coffee shop and her exit. About twenty-five minutes later she was finally hitting the road she lived on, where she noticed Tori's car was already in her driveway.

"Sorry I got caught in traffic."

"Its fine, I've only been here for ten minutes or so."

"Wanna go for a walk? There's a nice park down the road from here."

"Sure."

Tori dropped her bag into her car and locked the door, taking her phone and keys with her. Jade locked her car as well, grabbing her coffee off of the roof and stuffing her keys in her pocket. There was a steady breeze that bit a little, so Tori slid her hands inside her hoodie sleeves and breathed warm air into them. The two girls walked side by side for about ten minutes before cutting down an overgrown path between two houses. About two hundred feet in, the path opened back up to a wide field with freshly manicured grass and a quaint playground that looked very old.

Jade walked up to the swings and sat down on the first one, kicking back softly and swaying. Tori took the swing next to hers and did the same so the two were swinging in unison.

"Hey look, we're married!"

"You wish, Vega. Does that remark have anything to do with the way you tried to seduce me last night?" Jade smiled a little as she kicked her legs.

"I did NOT try to seduce you, it was a joke!" Tori blushed hard, and Jade laughed audibly. As soon as the laughter had come however, it faded to a somber look.

"What's the matter Jade? What happened between you and Beck this morning?"

Jade snapped upright and looked at Tori. "How did you know something happened with Beck? Did he tell you?"

"I bumped into him in the hallway. He told me there was an 'incident,' something about an interview. He didn't give me any details though."

"He was flirting with some college slut who was using the pretense of an interview to get him alone."

"Do you really believe that, Jade? Beck is a good guy, I don't think he would let anything like that happen even if that was actually her intention."

"I don't know. I have to deal with his little fan club 24/7. There's always some skank trying to steal him from me. They see that he's so gorgeous and perfect, and they see him with me and come to the conclusion that I'm _obviously _forcing him to be with me for some reason, because he wouldn't be any other way."

"Truth is though, he hasn't gone anywhere has he?"

"No, but its not the same as it was two years ago. When we first got together everything was great. He seemed really into me, and I was really into him you know. We hung out all the time, shared everything, and just genuinely enjoyed each other. Nowadays its just like he doesn't want to hang out with me anymore, and if I finally get him to, it's like a chore or something."

"Have you told him any of this? Asked him why things have changed?"

"No. I can barely get him alone for ten minutes without him looking like he wants to escape. We've only seen each other twice in the past week."

"Wow."

"Yeah. All good things come to an end I suppose."

"You think its gonna end?"

"Yeah well, can't go on like this forever. He's a catch, if we're not working, I gotta let him go."

"You're a catch too, Jade. Don't sell yourself short."

"Heh, thanks Vega."

"I'm serious Jade. You don't give yourself any credit. Just because your dad doesn't think much of what you do doesn't mean others don't."

"What did you say?"

"Oh...um, I just mean your dad is wrong for-"

"You listen to me, Vega. My life is none of your business, no matter what Cat told you. She needs to keep her mouth shut, and so do you." Jade got off the swing and grabbed her coffee, walking back in the direction of her house.

"Jade wait!" Tori ran after the pale beauty, desperate for a chance to smooth things over before they got any worse. The wind was blowing hard now, kicking up leaves in mini tornadoes in the open field. Tori tried to yell for Jade to slow down, but the howl of the wind drowned her voice out. Tori finally jogged and caught up with Jade, grabbing her shoulder lightly to stop her.

"Jade, I'm sorry. I talked to Cat yesterday when I was at her house. I just wanted to know why you hate me so much more than everyone else. Cat gave me a little bit of insight to see where you come from, so hopefully I would be able to shrug it off when you got on my case."

"Just because you heard some things about my life from someone else doesn't mean you get to bring it up in conversation. If I want to acknowledge those things with you and talk about them, I will." Jade wouldn't make direct eye contact with Tori, and Tori felt an uneasy squirming in her gut.

Jade's hair blew furiously around her face in the wind. Her eyes were narrow against the burn, black and blue slits in an ivory backdrop. Tori couldn't help but stare, Jade was miraculously beautiful at that moment. Tori stepped forward and grabbed the zipper of Jade's jacket with her free hand, and looked straight into the deep pools of blue.

"I know Jade, I'm sorry. I just wanted to let you know in some way that I understand the struggles you go through. At least a little bit. We kind of have some things in common. They may not be good things, but at least can we learn to help each other out."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Jade looked back into the caramel irises of the thin but sometimes forceful girl in front of her. She didn't understand why this person was fighting so hard to be her friend, when all she had done is be mean to her and push her away like everyone else. It was true that they shared some unfortunate circumstances, and Jade saw how having someone close that really understands could be beneficial.

"Alright Vega, let's go. It's getting cold out here."

Jade turned around and started walking back up the path towards her house. Tori caught up next to her and looped her arm through Jades, keeping pace and looking at her out of the corners of her eyes. Jade smiled and leaned her head on Tori's shoulder, feeling the pressure of all the stress she'd put aside building up. She knew it was about to spill over, and she never let anyone see her get that way. Showing weakness was not a West family trait. But if Jade and Tori were going to have something real, something they could both truly benefit from, it had to be legit. As soon as they got back to Jade's house and down into her room, Jade shut the door quietly and kicked off her shoes. Tori sat in the spot of Jade's bed she slept in the night before, and Jade crawled in next to her, laid her head on Tori's lap, and started crying.

**A/N: So, things are progressing a bit, huh? Slow but sure. I'm setting up some story arcs that will be touched on over the next few chapters, and building up emotional bases for some characters for some hopefully powerful moments in the future. Thank you to everyone that's reviewed so far, I appreciate the kind words and inspiration.**


	4. Falling Over Evening

The next morning was Saturday, so the girls didn't have to wake up early for school. Jade eventually cried herself out the night before, falling asleep with her head on Tori's lap. Tori lifted her up gently and slid down under the covers, and Jade nestled into her side. Minutes later both girls were out, the only sounds being soft breathing and rain pounding the window from outside.

Tori opened her eyes slowly and realized Jade was still sleeping next to her. She got up quietly and headed into the bathroom, unwrapping another toothbrush to use. After washing up and trying to untangle her hair, Tori slipped out of the bathroom and tiptoed to the door. Jade turned over in her sleep, but didn't wake up. Tori closed Jade's bedroom door softly behind her, and headed up stairs to her car.

On the way through the house, Tori ran into a tall, serious looking woman who looked like she could be a career woman's fashion model. The woman looked up at Tori as she walked by her, stopping in her tracks and turning to face the girl.

"You're not my daughter."

"No ma'am, I'm not."

"Well who are you then?"

"My name is Tori Vega, I go to school with Jade."

"Very good. Speaking of my daughter, where is she?"

"She's still asleep. I guess some stress has built up and it kinda hit her hard last night."

"It's two thousand and twelve, we all have stress. Doesn't mean I get to sleep in until noon on the weekends."

Tori looked at the hardened expression on the woman's face. She was very beautiful, and Jade looked a lot like her. A strong jaw, light green eyes the same shape as Jade's and the same Raven-colored hair. _She would be much prettier with a smile_, Tori thought to herself. The woman looked at Tori impatiently, then down to her watch.

"She just needs to shake it off a bit, I'm sure she'll be fine by tomorrow." Tori looked sympathetic as she tried to defend Jade to her own mother.

"Yeah well if she isn't she'll have to be anyway. I'm not paying for 'art school' so she can sit around on the weekends and do nothing."

Tori didn't really care much for Jade's mother.

"I have to get going Mrs. West, tell Jade she can call me when she wakes up."

"Better send her a message, I'm heading out the door myself."

Mrs. West followed Tori out the front door of the house, locking it behind her, and walked over to the garage. Tori got into her own car and started it quickly, trying to unblock the driveway for Jade's impatient-looking mother. The drive home was quick, Saturday morning traffic had already passed and Tori's house wasn't very far. By the look of the driveway, no one was home, so Tori parked in her spot on the right side of the drive and went inside.

After kicking off her shoes and grabbing a Dr. Pepper from the fridge, Tori decided to knock out her Screenwriting homework while no one was around, that way she was sure to have no distractions. She grabbed her bag and opened it, sliding the books out onto the kitchen table, then grabbed her PearPod and popped it onto the dock that was plugged in on the edge of the counter. Her 'Homework' playlist started up, and she got to work writing her paper on the power of the proper use of Foreshadowing.

A couple hours later, her first and second drafts were done, with the former sitting on her left, scribbled on with notes covering the margins. Feeling accomplished, Tori put her books and her paper back into her bag and headed to the couch to see if there were any good movies on TV. She settled for watching a Covert Affairs marathon, and ended up nodding off on the couch for a bit.

Jade opened her eyes slowly, shielding them from the light that beamed around her curtain rods. Her eyes burned and her throat was raw, making it hard for her to swallow. She got out of bed slowly, limbs a little sore from shaking so much. It had gotten colder lately, and Jade shivered a bit as she walked to the bathroom. She grabbed her toothbrush and brushed slowly, rinsing and drying her face, then headed over to her dresser to find something comfortable to wear, settling on loose-fitting black jeans and a white t-shirt with a dark blue hoodie.

When Jade headed into the kitchen to grab something small to eat, she ran into father poking around the fridge, grabbing something during his lunch break at work. He had thrown together a sandwich and was holding it in one hand, while his other held his phone to his ear.

"Is there any yogurt in there?" Jade asked tentatively. Jade's Dad continued searching for who knows what, listening hard to the voice on the other side of the phone.

"I know I'm not your ideal little girl, but you can at least not ignore me when I ask you something."

"Jade, I'm on the phone. I have to go back to work, you can look in a minute." Jade's Dad grabbed a bottle of vitamin water and his sandwich, and made for the door without saying anything else.

"Okay then, bye Daddy!" Jade mocked at her Dad's back, and he went through the door without acknowledging her. Jade searched for a minute and found the yogurt, grabbing a strawberry one and a bottle of water before shutting the door and heading back to her room.

She didn't feel like doing her homework because of her headache, so she turned the TV on and watched some afternoon news while she ate. Nothing really grabbed her attention, so she grabbed a book she'd been reading and her keys, then headed down to find her shoes. She figured heading to the park to read in her usual spot was better than rotting her brain with TV or sleeping.

It was a little windy, but the sun kept it from being too cold. The park was abandoned, which was odd for a Saturday afternoon, but Jade took it as a sign that her idea to exercise her brain was a good one. She walked over to the big willow tree across from the swings her and Tori were on the night before and sat down, opening her book to the spot where her D.A.R.E. bookmark was left. The ground was a little damp from the rain, but the spot under the willow tree was pretty well covered, and the grass relatively dry.

Before she dove into her book, Jade took in her surroundings. Looking at the box-like houses in a row on each side of the park. The lower level clouds moved quickly across the sky, while the higher up clouds massed together, gray and intimidating. A small flock of birds flew noisily overhead, no doubt heading somewhere dry before the rain started.

As she read the sky darkened again, threatening to spill more rain. About an hour and a half after she arrived, sprinkles started rustling the branches above her head, so Jade marked her spot and stood up, walking back in the direction of her house.

Out of ideas, she decided to call Beck and see if he was doing anything. It took a minute, but after about 5 rings Beck answered the phone

"Hey Jade."

"What are you doing? I'm bored."

"I'm getting ready to leave."

"Where ya headed?"

Beck hesitated, and Jade got annoyed at the implication in his silence.

"Don't be like that, I was just wondering what's up."

"I'm going to hang out with Jennifer for a little while. She invited me to a late lunch and we might go poke around the record store afterward depending on the weather."

"Who the hell is Jennifer?"

Beck took a breath. "The blonde girl you called a skank this morning."

Jade instantly felt hot. Why would Beck be going to casually hang out with some girl who just wants to interview him? Did he see something in her? No way would Beck be stupid enough to fool around on Jade behind her back. Impossible. But if that was so, then what?

"I know you're pissed right now Jade, but I told you I want to be able to have female friends. And I'm going to have female friends. If you don't like it, then I don't know what to tell you."

"Whatever, Beck."

"No, it's not whatever Jade. You seem to think you can just brood twenty four seven and expect me to be okay with the way you treat me. I get it, you're angsty. Your parents are mad at you for your choices, or mad each other, I don't know." Beck cut off for a second, biting the inside of his cheek. "I can only take so much of your bad attitude, Jade. It brings me down. I try to be a happy person and be friendly, but most of the time I'm in a bad mood because of you."

"Jesus Beck, fine. If you're just going to sit there and cut me down for the next ten minutes I'll just fuck off and-"

"God damnit Jade, you don't get to turn this around. Not this time. You aren't the victim here, I am. I'm trying to lay all of this out on the table, and now that you see how bad you really look, you're trying to draw attention away from it."

"I don't particularly like getting told I'm a bitch by my supposedly loving boyfriend over the fucking phone."

"Fine, Jade. I'll stop by your house on my way to see Jennifer and tell you in person if you want me to."

"Oh don't be so dramatic."

"There you go again, trying to play it off. I'm done Jade. I can't take this anymore."

"What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like it means. I don't want to be your boyfriend anymore."

"Fine, be that way."

"Fine."

Beck hung up and Jade stood in the middle of the sidewalk, holding the phone up to her ear, listening to the silence. Beck had broken up with her before, and she'd broken up with him. It was kind of a thing that happened between them. On and off, off and on. One of them would get upset, they would fight, then make up a week later. Jade figured that was what was going on this time, but something in her gut told her this one was different. It _felt _different. All of a sudden Jade was panicking, wringing her hands and pacing back in forth in short strides. The rain was coming in now, snapping her into the present. She put her phone in her pocket and finished the short walk to her house, walking through it to the screened-in porch out back.

Jade sat down on one of the oversized chairs that overlooked the backyard. The porch was good-sized, stretching from one side of the house to the other, with about a three foot padding on each side. The backyard had a large heated in-ground pool, and next to it a six person hot tub with multicolored lights underwater. The inside of the porch had a three person couch against the outside of the house and an oversized chair on either side, with a wood and wicker table in-between.

Not knowing what to do, or what to feel, Jade curled up in a ball in the big chair and listened to the rain. She had cried so much the night before, and doing so again now would just emphasize her headache. After a bit of silence, she was surprised the tears hadn't started on their own. In some way, Jade knew that she and Beck weren't doing so hot. They had lost a bit of the flair they had when they first got together. The time they had spent together in the last few months had gotten mundane, and frankly, they both had seen it coming. Even so, knowing something is gonna happen doesn't make it hurt any less. Jade stayed curled up in the chair for the next couple hours, listening to the rain and thinking about how the group dynamic would change. She wasn't looking forward to school on Monday.

Tori woke from her power nap on the couch at about 3:45. She opened her eyes at the sound of gunshots, and realized the Covert Affairs marathon was still going and she had nodded off. The sun was gone, and she could see the rain pouring freely from the overcast sky through her living room window. With any type of outside plan immediately squashed, she got up from the couch and went up to her room. There were clothes on floor, her bed was a little messy and the bathroom looked like a hurricane had hit it, so she decided it would be best to clean up a bit to help pass the time.

Returning upstairs with the vacuum cleaner, some gloves and a bottle of some industrial cleaner her Mom kept under the sink in the kitchen, Tori set to work on the room. She picked up all the clothes and put them in the laundry basket, then made up the bed neatly. Once the light work was done, she set in to clean the bathroom from top to bottom. She strapped the gloves on and dove in, and a little under thirty minutes later, the room looked brand new. With the last little bits done, she tossed the gloves into the laundry basket and undressed, needing a shower after the intense workout with the chemicals.

Shortly after she had showered and redressed, Tori's Mom came in the front door. Tori went down to greet her and finally have someone to talk to. When she hit the bottom of the stairs, she could see there was something obviously wrong with her Mom. She walked into the kitchen gingerly, and when her Mom heard her coming she turned on her heel with a bright new smile on her face.

"Hey kiddo, how's your weekend so far?"

"Hey Mom, it's been good. I worked on a paper, caught some TV and just finished cleaning my room."

"Good, it's good to stay busy on days like these. Too many people get depressed from the lack of sunshine and end up wallowing in their beds all day." Tori's Mom gave her wink and a smile, and Tori returned it, but she felt like it was almost in jest due to the knowledge of her mother's admittedly seamless facade.

"I'm thinking pizza for dinner tonight, Mannilino's has a special."

"Sure Mom, that sounds good."

Tori's Mom walked over to the fridge and dialed the number on the takeout flyer that was pinned to the freezer with a magnet. Tori grabbed a couple plates out of the cupboard and set the table. Once her mom got off the phone, she headed upstairs to her room to change out of her work suit, and Tori turned the TV to a local station for the five o'clock news.

"An intrusion at Bank of America Downtown allowed a masked assailant to abscond with an undisclosed amount of cash." the anchorwoman explained, the screen cutting to live footage, courtesy of their field correspondent. "No one was hurt that we know of, we're heading down now to get the latest from KSBW correspondent Annelise Brock."

The words faded to a hum as Tori turned the story out, instead grabbing her PearPhone and loading up The Slap. Five notifications buzzed her upon logging in, the first being a new video from Cat. She had finished one of the designs for Sikowitz' production, and was asking people for their comments. The second was a pic of Sinjin and Burf tearing apart some piece of electronic equipment, although Tori had no idea what it was. The third was relationship change from Beck. Whoa. Tori's eyes opened wide as she did a double take, reading the words three times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. _Beck Oliver is single._ Tori was kind of worried at that point, wondering what could have possibly happened to cause this. Did Jade take her advice and talk to Beck? Did that cause them to break up? She felt sick knowing that she could possibly be to blame for tearing apart an almost 3 year relationship. The fourth was a post from Trina holding up a new Kashmir sweater she had picked up in Beverly Hills with Melanie, and the last was what Tori hoped not to see; A relationship change from Jade. _Jade West is single._

A few moments later Tori's Mom came down the stairs in a comfy looking evening outfit with her hair up in a ponytail. Tori quickly wiped the fear from her face, not wanting to immediately bring up the topic of failed relationships for obvious reasons. The doorbell rang, which meant the pizza had arrived, so she quickly answered the door and invited the pizza boy inside. Her Mom walked up with a couple twenty dollar bills and handed them to the boy, telling him to keep the change. He smiled brightly and handed her the pizza boxes, then shuffled off to his car. Tori grabbed a couple napkins from the kitchen and brought them to the table, sitting in her usual spot.

A few bites in, Tori noticed her Mom seemed to be just going through the motions. If she realized Tori was looking at her, she would look up and smile, trying to reassure her daughter that everything was fine, but Tori knew it wasn't all fine. After she finished her slice, she looked at her mom for a second, choosing her words carefully, then spoke.

"Mom, what's happening with you and Dad?"

Tori's Mom's chewing slowed, and she picked up her napkin to dab the corners of her mouth before she swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Tori. I really don't know what's going to happen."

"I heard Dad saying some things the other night when I slipped out the side door."

"Ah, I thought I heard something. I'm sorry you had to hear all of that Tori, it's our fault for not regulating our conversations when you girls are around. That wasn't very adult-like."

"That's fine Mom, I'm just worried about what's going to happen to us."

"Well hon, no matter what happens between your Dad and I, you girls will be staying put. You won't have to change schools or anything like that, I promise."

"That's good and all, I just wish things weren't so difficult."

"You and me both, sweetheart." Tori's mom took a deep breath and huffed it out, grabbing a drink of water. "Your Dad is a worker. He loves his job, he loves his coworkers, the feeling of making people safe, all of it. We did run kind of short financially when you started Hollywood Arts, but your Dad started getting some more overtime to cover for it."

Tori looked at the floor. She quickly remembered her outburst at Trina, blaming her for their Dad's long nights at work over her crazy spending. In the end, it seemed, she was the cause of it. She poked at her pizza, tearing small pieces of cheese off and chewing them slowly. "I blew up at Trina blaming her for it, and it turns out it was my fault."

"Oh no, honey.' Tori's mom seemed like she was about to tear up. "It's not your fault at all. It's not Trina's fault either. Your Dad and I have just kind of...changed over time. Relationships can be difficult, even when you're head over heels in love with someone. It's not one specific thing anyone did, so don't you think this is your fault."

Tori wanted to ask about her Dad's partner, Andrew, but she knew it wasn't her place. If her mom wanted to talk about it, she would bring it up. The two finished up their dinner in silence after that, the soft drone of the TV in the background carrying it's own conversation. Deciding she was going to try to call Jade, Tori wiped her mouth and slid her chair back, then took her plate into the kitchen and put it in the dishwasher.

"Unfortunately this seems to be the topic of today, because Jade and Beck broke up, too. I'm gonna go try to give Jade a call and see if she needs anything."

"That's too bad, they're both good kids. If she wants to get out you can bring her here for the night."

"Thanks Mom. Do you need anything? I feel like I should be doing something or at least say something helpful."

Tori's Mom laughed. "It's fine babe, really. Go call Jade."

Tori smiled as warmly as she could and headed upstairs. She crawled up onto her bed, rubbing her eyes and stretching out. The last 2 days had seemed so long, when in reality none of the things that had happened even happened to her. Thinking of all the uncertainty Jade must be mulling over, Tori grabbed her phone and dialed Jade's number. After 6 rings, Tori got the hint that she wasn't going to answer, so she shut her phone and stared at the ceiling. A minute later, she opened the phone back up to a text message.

_I saw The Slap, if you want to talk about anything give me a call or something. -Tori_

She sent the message to both Jade and Beck, since she was really friends with both of them and didn't want to single just one of them out. Almost instantly Jade replied with "_Whatever_," and not long after Beck replied with "_Thanks Tori, that means a lot. Maybe we can get lunch tomorrow. -Beck_" Obviously, they had very different coping mechanisms.

A beep from her phone notified Tori that Robbie had been selected as the second male lead in Sikowitz' production. She replied a "Congrats!" and laughed a bit, knowing Robbie was probably freaking out. Beck replied after her saying he would head over there tomorrow to help him with his lines. Other than Robbie's good news, not much else seemed to be going on that lazy, rainy Saturday, so Tori decided to put in a movie and relax. She chose "Beautiful Wave" with Aimee Teegarden, and after about thirty minutes the softness of her bed had overcome her, and she dozed off.

The music of the end credits woke her up some hour and a half later, so she grabbed the remote and switched the TV off. She checked her phone and there was nothing but a few location tags on The Slap. Realizing that everyone was probably just gonna stick inside that night, she changed into a comfy pair of Pjs and went downstairs to say goodnight to her Mom.

Hearing voices, Tori stopped at the top of the stairs, listening, even though she felt wrong for doing so. A man's voice was more easily heard, and it wasn't her Dad's. She recognized it as Andrew's.

"Why would you tell him without talking to me first?"

"He already knew Holly, what do you want me to say? He knew and was just waiting for me to admit it. I've known the man my entire adult life, he's..."

"Like a brother to you? Sounds really bad considering the situation."

"You're one to talk, it's not like I could have done this by myself."

"Listen Andrew, this has already caused enough stress in my family. David is gone, and I don't think he's coming back. The girls are going to be devastated when they find out he's moved out of the house. I don't think you being around when they find out why is the best idea."

"I get it. Call me when the dust settles, we'll work this out."

"Yeah. Goodnight Andrew."

Tori heard the door shut and walked downstairs silently. Her mom was standing with her back to the door, hunched over with her hands on the table. Tori walked up behind her and spoke softly.

"So, Dad's not coming home is he?"

Tori's Mom stood up straight, and when she turned around to look at Tori, her eyes looked heavy with tears. "No sweetheart, he's not."

"I heard what Dad said about Andrew last night, I just didn't know he had decided to go."

"Yeah, he said it would be best if we separated, especially if there was ever to be any chance of fixing this."

Tori didn't like the feeling in her gut, but she also didn't know how to describe it. It was a mixture of hurt and fear, and maybe even a little disgust. "Well that's real nice Mom."

"Don't give me that Tori. You know everything isn't black and white. I need someone to help me through this, and you know your sister."

"Yeah Mom? Well I'm gonna need someone to help _me_ through this, and who am I supposed to go to?" Tori turned around and went back upstairs, tears stinging her eyes. She heard her mom sigh slowly, then slammed her bedroom door.

Jade woke from her nap on the porch to her phone buzzing with a text message from Tori. She read it quickly and saw that it was about what happened with Beck, and she didn't want anything to do with that. She sent a quick "_whatever_" and shut her phone, tipping her head back and closing her eyes for a few more minutes. They stung to keep open from the mixture of stale tears and the chilly wind. Starting to shiver, Jade went inside and grabbed a hoodie from her bedroom, slipping it over her head.

It was getting late, the sun had gone down and she had no other messages of anyone going out to do anything, so she decided to take a hot shower. Jade walked into the bathroom and turned the water on to let it run and get hot, then walked back to her room to strip down and throw her clothes in the laundry basket. She walked over and closed her window, then headed into the shower.

The hot water ran over her head and down her back. Jade leaned forward and put her right palm flat against the wall, letting the jet from the shower head hit her neck and release some tension. The heat really soaked into her skin, turning her pale, porcelain skin a shade of red. After what seemed like twenty minutes of just standing still, she got to work finishing up her shower, washing her hair and body and rinsing off quickly. The water started to cool down, so she hopped out before she lost the heat she had collected.

Jade got dressed again, pulling on some silk Pjs and a light but warm hoodie. She kicked back at her desk, spinning around in circles in her chair, doodling on a scrap piece of paper and folding paper airplanes. After about ten minutes, she was already bored to tears. Having just woken up from a long nap, she didn't feel tired enough to go to sleep, but it was dark and rainy outside. Not sure what to do, Jade grabbed her phone and opened a new text message. She found Tori's name in the contacts, thinking that she would be eager to come over and hang out for the night to possibly get on Jade's good side.

Tori didn't answer her phone, so Jade waited twenty minutes, thinking she might be in the shower. During that time Jade checked her Slap page, but all she saw was about a hundred notifications saying sorry about her break-up. Not interested in reading half-hearted apologies from a bunch of acquaintances, she shut her laptop and leaned back in her chair. Thinking enough time had passed, Jade called Tori again, but there was still no answer. It was unlike the annoyingly nice, bronze-skinned girl to not answer her phone, even when Jade was being mean to her, so Jade actually felt a little worried. She sent a text message instead, hoping Tori would respond when she saw it.

_Hey Vega, just wanted to see if you were doing anything. Maybe we could watch another movie or something? Call me. -Jade_

A couple of minutes later, Jade's phone vibrated with the reply she'd been waiting for.

_Leave me alone Jade. I need a **real** friend right now, not someone who only wants me around to make her feel better when she's upset._

Jade felt an anvil of guilt slam the bottom of her gut, making her feel like she might even throw up. She wasn't one to feel bad about the way people reacted to her brashness, but for some reason Tori was different to her. She didn't like her at all when Tori first started Hollywood Arts, strutting in like she owned the place. It seemed like everything was so easy for her. Even when Jade went over to her house with the rest of the group, her parents were always really nice and offered excellent hospitality, always making sure Tori's friends had everything they needed. But when Jade learned that her household wasn't as perfect as it seemed, she happened to develop a soft spot for the fragile girl. It didn't stop Jade from being mean to her, cause that's just who she was, but she did find herself being less harsh to Tori than a few months prior.  
Something was wrong, and it wasn't sitting right with Jade. She knew that if the circumstances were turned, Tori would do something to help her out. She had offered her help earlier in the day with the Beck situation, but Jade of course slapped her hand away as she always did. The weird thing wasn't that she felt guilty about being mean to Tori, it was that she legitimately felt worried about the girl. Jade didn't know how to feel about that. Her other friends had all had problems before, and Jade of course felt for them, but not like this. This was an instinctive feeling, almost protective. She felt like she needed to go to Tori's house and scoop her up, remove her from whatever situation was making her feel bad. This feeling didn't really sit well with Jade, not because she didn't like it or want it, but because she had never felt it before, and it was powerful.

After sitting around for another fifteen minutes, Jade couldn't take the feeling in the pit of her stomach, so she grabbed her keys and headed to the front door. Jade's Mom was standing at the island in the kitchen, eating slices of a Cucumber while reading a case file she had sprawled out over the counter top. She realized Jade had keys in hand, and commanded Jade to stop through a mouthful of vegetable.

"Where are you going? It's almost nine o'clock and the roads are bad."

"I'm going to see a friend."

"Who, Beck?"

"No Mother, Beck and I broke up."

"That's a shame, he's a handsome guy."

"Good news for you, he seems to be into older women lately. Why don't you go see if he'll take you out?"

"Don't talk to me like that, Jadelyn."

"Whatever, I'm leaving."

Jade's Mom picked her snack back up and continued reading her report while Jade crossed into the mud room and slipped her shoes on.

The drive to Tori's was slow going because of the high winds and rain. Leaves sticking to the windshield made it hard for Jade to see, so she had to do a little under the speed limit to stay safe. Once she found Tori's place she parked on the side of the road and ran up to the door, trying to stay as dry as possible. She knocked on the door, putting her hands in her pockets as she waited for someone to answer.

Tori's Mom answered the door, and her somber expression quickly turned to confusion as she ushered Jade inside.

"Well geez little lady, what are you doing out in this storm?"

"Hey, I came to see Tori. Is she here?"

"Yeah she's upstairs, but I think she might be sleeping. You can go check if you want."

"Thanks Mrs. Vega."

Jade headed up the stairs and to the second door on the right, which she knew to be Tori's room. She knocked softly, and when didn't hear a response, she opened the door slowly and peeked in.

"I don't feel like talking about this Mom" Tori said in almost a whisper, sitting in her desk chair facing the window.

"Hey Tori, it's Jade." Jade walked into the room and shut the door behind her, standing as close to it as she could while she waited for Tori to respond.

"What do you want Jade? I already told you I'm not in the mood for your shit."

"Take it easy Vega, I just came to see if you were okay."

"Oh, like you care _so_ much."

"As a matter of fact, I do. You've grown on me lately."

"Well let me show you how excited I am" Tori snapped mockingly, crossing her arms over her chest in the American sign language symbol for love.

"Jesus Tori you sound like me, what's your issue? You were fine this morning."

"Why should I bother telling you, Jade? So you can comfort me for one night then pretend it didn't happen the next day? So you can do something nice to make yourself feel good and then go back to being a bitch?"

Jade's face felt hot, and she subconsciously grabbed the door handle to leave the room.

"That's right Jade, leave. I know you went through some stuff earlier with your Beck breakup, so I'm sorry for not being so gracious right now, but we all have bad things happen in our lives. The only difference with you is you expect everyone to be there for you all the time, and expect to be able to offer your support to us only when you want to. That's not good enough. Friendship isn't a part time deal."

Tori finally turned away from the window and looked Jade full in the face, only to see that she had tears on her cheeks. She didn't expect it, and it threw her off balance a little. Forgetting her tirade, Tori walked slowly over to Jade, who turned towards the door to hide her face while she wiped her tears away.

"I really did want us to be able to help each other out, since our situations are similar, but the truth is I don't know _how_ to be a good a friend." Jade made eye contact with Tori and quickly looked away, too ashamed to hold the gaze of those whiskey-colored irises.

"Jade..." Tori stepped forward and grabbed Jade, bringing her into a hug. After a couple seconds Jade unfurled her arms and wrapped them gingerly around Tori's waist, breathing quickly. Tori pulled back for a second and looked Jade in the eyes, searching the ocean blue for a sign of how to unlock Jade's inner beauty for good. Jade took in a raspy breaths, blinking quickly as tears fell in rapid succession, her bottom lip quivering with each breath. Tori couldn't help but think Jade was the most beautiful creature in existence at that very moment. Such a strong woman in a moment of weakness, a completely broken shell that exposed a deeply buried pearl. Tori crushed her body against Jade's, squeezing her as if her life depended on it. Jade took the forcefulness as a sign of camaraderie, and wrapped her arms fully around Tori, burying her face into her neck, and gave in.

The heat between the two girls was intense. Shallow breaths almost like panting eventually gave way to deep, cleansing breaths as each woman spilled tears onto the others shoulder. When it seemed like they may fall asleep if they didn't move, Tori ran her fingers through Jade's hair and took half a step back, smiling weakly into her eyes. Jade returned the smile in kind, slowly dragging her fingers over Tori's back and she brought her arms in to her sides.

Tori felt much better after sharing such a strong moment with someone, and the fact it was Jade made it even more special. It seemed like in the space of the hug, a lot of things between them got resolved, but Tori wasn't naive; she knew it would be foolish to trust Jade completely right off the bat, but she didn't want to think about that now. She watched Jade step lightly to the side and put her hand on the doorknob, getting ready to retreat downstairs.

A few things happened at once: First, Tori realized Jade was about to leave. Second, she realized that she didn't want Jade to leave, and third, she reached out and grabbed Jade's free hand with one of her own. Lastly, as she held Jade's hand, she understood that something had happened between the two of them. The moment they shared seemed as simple as two friends comforting each other, but there was something else there. Tori didn't know how to explain it, she just knew that she didn't want the raven-haired girl to leave. She's figure out the rest later.

"Hey Jade, you can stay here tonight if you want. Tomorrow is Sunday, and you look like you're already ready for bed." Tori joked, looking down at Jade's pajama bottoms, which she curiously noticed hugged her curves in all the right places.

"Oh...okay. Sure." Jade smiled at Tori, looking down at their hands coupled together. She swore she could almost feel an electricity running through their entangled fingers, and as soon as she zeroed in on the feeling, Tori followed her eyes to their hands and quickly removed hers, leaving Jade strangely longing for it back. The two girls looked at each other, and Tori giggled a little, mostly out of tension, and the girls put more space in-between them.

Tori walked over to the TV and turned it on, restarting the DVD she had put in earlier and climbed into bed. Jade stood rooted in her spot, looking around the room.

"Do you have any extra blankets in here? I'll make a spot on the floor."

"Don't be silly, you can sleep in my bed. It's plenty big enough."

Jade smiled and headed to the other side and crawled in next to Tori. The movie started and she reached over to shut the light off. The girls laid in silence watching the movie for a little while, until Tori felt Jade roll over and snuggle up next to her. She looked down and saw that Jade was fast asleep with her arm stretched over her mid section. Tori lifted her arm out slowly and draped it over Jade's shoulders, stretching and snuggling down into her, and was asleep herself within minutes.

**A/N: Abuse comes in a lot of shapes and sizes. It isn't just physical, and it doesn't just happen to women. If your partner makes you feel bad about yourself or just generally makes you unhappy, you should take steps to assess your situation, and make the changes that are necessary to lead a happy and fulfilling life. For more information, visit helpguide dot org /topics/****abuse dot **htm

**A/N 2: It's not okay for parents to argue in front of their children. An adult relationship, and it's related problems, are the responsibility of the parents, and the parents alone. A tense home environment can be extremely detrimental to children, especially younger ones. If you or someone you know have parents that fight a lot, don't be afraid to ask someone for help.**

**A/N 3: How about that? There's more Jori interaction to come in the next chapters, I promise. I'm sorry if any of you are getting bored, but I meant it when I said this would burn slow. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me in some way, which you can find out how to do so on my profile page.**


	5. Stolen Moments

Tori had gotten used to falling asleep with someone next to her, since she had slept next to Jade for the past 3 nights. It was strange to her how the girl that seemed to hate her so much had pulled a one eighty over the short period of time they'd spent together, but Tori wasn't complaining. She was glad to have Jade as an at least somewhat friend, even though she found her mood swings to be an egregious nuisance. Still, she was a half-full kind of girl, and progress is progress.

This morning was different however, as when Tori woke up, Jade was already gone. She looked at the clock, it was only eight forty five. Jade must have gotten up really early or something. Maybe she couldn't sleep and went for a walk? Or more likely, she'd come down from whatever mood she was in and split from Tori's side like usual. Nothing could be done about that, she figured, Jade was who she was. Eight forty five was a little early, Tori thought to herself, so she decided to go back to sleep for a couple hours.

Deciding breakfast was a good idea around ten o'clock, Tori slid out from under the covers and walked shivering to her dresser, attempting to find something warm but breathable. The nights had gotten pretty cold, but the days were still warm with the sun. She grabbed a two shirt combo, a long sleeve with a short sleeve over top of it, stitched together at the seams on the inside, a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a light runner's jacket.

The house seemed to be empty at first, so Tori went about as she would if no one was watching, singing to herself as she danced down the stairs. When she rounded the flattop in the middle of the staircase, Trina's voice carried up in a simultaneously annoying and fearful way. Tori didn't feel like duking it out with her sister over what had happened the other day, and thankfully when she hit the bottom of the stairs and saw where her sister's voice was coming from, she also noticed she was on the phone.

Trina gabbed away to what Tori imagined was Melanie on the line, something about boys they had met on their weekend in Beverly Hills and hoping to see them again at the Mall on Friday. Tori grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and set it on the counter, causing Trina to sigh obnoxiously loudly and walk to the other side of the kitchen. Tori just shook her head and laughed under her breath, grabbing the milk out of the fridge. She sat at the kitchen table and ate a quick bowl of Raisin Bran, then put her bowl in the sink. As she was heading back for the staircase, Trina closed her phone and looked at Tori, clearing her throat loudly.

"Can I help you, Trina?"

"Why yes little sister, you can. You can apologize to me for being such a bitch at dinner."

"I'm not going to apologize to you Trina. I'm not wrong about what I said, you're constantly in Mom and Dad's pockets like they owe you something. You don't work for anything."

"Don't talk to me like you've ever done anything to earn a dime in your life, Princess." Trina gave Tori a dirty look and walked towards the door. "I'm leaving."

"Don't come back!" Tori shouted as Trina shut the door, knowing for a fact Trina flipped her off through the door without even having to see it.

Tori decided it would probably be best to finish her paper for Screenwriting since she wasn't doing anything else, so she performed her usual Homework ritual and got started. A few edits on the second draft led into the start of the final draft, closing in at a solid 5 pages. She read through the whole thing in one go at the end, fixing a couple typos and grammatical errors along the way, then saved the document and sent it to the printer. Not long after the finished product was freshly laid out and stapled, then put back in her bag for safe keeping.

At around twelve thirty, Tori's phone went off in her pocket. She pulled it out and answered, leaning back against the table.

"Hey Tori, it's Beck."

"Oh, Hey Beck, what's up?"

"I've been helping Robbie with his lines for Sikowitz' production, and since the opening is on Tuesday night Robbie's freaking out a bit and wants to get in as much practice as possible. I figured if you weren't doing anything we could meet over at your place so we can all hang out together."

"That sounds awesome. Trina just left so it's just me."

"Cool. I'm gonna call Robbie back and try to calm him down a bit. If you're up to it, give the others a call and see if they want to stop by too."

"Sure, sounds like a good time."

"Alright, I'll be at your place in about an hour."

"Okay, see ya then."

Tori hung up with Beck and looked through her contacts for Cat's number. Upon finding it, she pressed send and waited for the call to go through.

"HI TORI!" Cat yelled into her phone, giggling afterward.

"Hi Cat" Tori smirked, always finding solace in Cat's perpetual happiness. "What are you doing today?"

"I was just working on the costumes for the show. The premiere is Tuesday night, I hope you're coming!"

"Of course Cat, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"YAY!" Cat continued to giggle into the phone.

"Well Beck, Robbie and maybe the others are coming to my house to help Robbie with his lines. If you want you can bring the costume stuff over here and I'll help you while Beck helps Robbie."

"Okay! When is everyone getting there?"

"Beck said he'd be here in about an hour, so twelve thirty I guess."

"Okay, see you then. Bye Tori!"

Cat hung up without waiting for Tori to say bye, obviously excited at the prospect of the group getting together outside of school. They always hung out at lunch and their last two classes of the day, which were Sikowitz and Study Hall, but school has a different atmosphere. Everyone was still the same, but not being in such a formal environment made for easier conversation. Tori repeated the process for Andre, who answered the phone almost immediately.

"Hey Tor, what's shakin'?"

"Hey Andre, not much. What's goin' on?"

"Oh you know, just gettin' my groove on for my Music Theory class. Testin' out some new samples I've been kickin' around in my head."

"Sounds cool. Feel like taking a break?"

"Whatcha got for me girl?"

"The others are all comin' over to my house in a little bit to help Robbie and Cat out with stuff for Sikowitz' premiere on Tuesday."

"Alright, I'll be there. Gimme a half hour to square this off and I'll be on my way."

"Cool, see you when you get here."

Tori looked up and could see that the rain had let up finally. The sun was shining outside, so she decided to put her shoes on and step out onto the driveway and see what the weather was like. It was relatively warm with the sun overhead, but the wind had a bite that wasn't easily ignored. Tori was glad she had her runner's jacket on, zipping it up half way and putting her hands in her pockets.

Her neighbor strode by briskly, pushing her little one in a sporty-looking stroller with wheels that looked like bicycle tires. She waved to Tori and Tori called back an audible hello, not wanting to re-expose her hands to the wind. After a few minutes she went back inside, suddenly realizing that she had went outside for one subconscious reason; she was afraid to call Jade.

Jade had been nice to her a lot lately, but she was just as manic as ever in her after-cuddle mood swings, and Tori wasn't looking forward to Jade's behavior today if her track record was to remain unchanged. Regardless, Jade was part of the group, and Tori would still call her to see if she wanted to stop by, even though she probably wouldn't, especially since Beck was going to be there.

The phone rang 6 or 7 times without Jade answering, so Tori hung up and decided to send a text message instead.

_Jade, everyone's coming to my house to help Robbie and Cat with the premiere stuff, you're welcome to join if you want. -Tori_

Typical as ever, Jade didn't answer the phone, but sent a text reply shortly after.

_Everyone?_

Tori knew what she meant by the question, she was asking if Beck would be there. Nervous about upsetting her, Tori thought about saying no so maybe she would come, and then she could tell her Beck showed up with Robbie and she didn't know he would be coming. No, lies wouldn't help the situation, especially since the girls were trying to build something based on trust. Tori decided to tell her the truth straight up and just hope that she would be okay with it.

_Yes Jade, Beck is coming to. I hope that doesn't keep you away._

Jade's reply came almost immediately.

_Yeah I'm not feeling so well, I think I'm gonna pass._

Tori saw the rejection coming, but for some reason it hurt her feelings. More than it should have? She wasn't sure, but she knew it didn't feel very good. Deciding to not push the matter, Tori would just send a nice understanding reply and keep the offer open just in case.

_Okay, well, the offer is open if you change your mind. I hope you do._

Tori didn't exactly plan the last line, it just kind of came out. She chalked it up to her wanting to be friends with Jade and shut her phone, heading into the kitchen to prepare for guests.

Jade had woken up from a strange dream in a panic. In the dream, she was all over someone. Running her fingers through their hair, kissing them, wrapping her legs around their waist. The other person dug their fingers into her hair at the back of her neck and pulled her closer. Jade couldn't see their face, but she assumed it was Beck since that was the last person she'd been with. She squeezed him into her with her leg that was draped over his hip, crushing her pelvis against him as they kissed. Beck put his hand on the small of her back and added pressure, and she nibbled on his bottom lip and moved down to his neck. The action was getting good, and all of a sudden Jade noticed the lack of stubble on Beck's face. She rubbed her cheek against his neck, and nothing. Leaning back to find Beck's face, she found herself looking into Tori's eyes. Tori smiled at her and winked, biting her lip playfully. Jade snapped awake and realized that she was spooned behind Tori, with their legs entangled and her face nestled into Tori's neck.

Jade sat up quickly then immediately froze, trying not to wake her slumbering friend. Tori slept soundly, breathing deeply while still as a painting. Jade, on the other hand, was taking in quick, raspy breaths, elevated twofold with arousal and the fear of confusion. She had no idea why she would be making out with Tori in her dream, but the wetness between her legs told her that she enjoyed it. A lot.

Not knowing what to do, Jade looked at the clock. It was only five thirty in the morning, but she was way too wired to sleep now. Luckily she had her car, so she crawled out of Tori's bed slowly and carefully, then got dressed and slipped out of her bedroom undetected. She crept down the stairs one at a time, trying to avoid squeaky parts in the floor, but when she reached the bottom she ran into Mrs. Vega.

"Morning Jade."

"Oh, hi Mrs. Vega."

"What are you doing up? Its five thirty in the morning."

"Oh...I couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to lay there and bother Tori, so I figured I would just head home and get a jump start on my homework or something."

"Well hon, it's not really a jump start if you wait til Sunday to do it." Tori's mom winked at her as she sipped her coffee.

"Heh, yeah, I guess you're right." Jade was trying to be as polite as possible, but hint that she was in a hurry at the same time. "I was quiet enough that she didn't wake up, so she'll be okay without me. I'm gonna try to get home before church traffic hits."

"Okay sweetie. Can I ask you one thing before you go, though?"

"Sure, what's up?"

Mrs. Vega looked at Jade for a minute. She didn't say anything, she just looked into her piercing blue eyes and stayed silent, like she was trying to see into her soul. "Tori used to come home and cry almost every day for her first couple of weeks at Hollywood Arts. I didn't really understand at first because Trina had told me she made a not only one friend but a whole group, and was doing pretty well in her classes. But eventually she told me about a girl that wasn't exactly the nicest person in the world to her."

"Mrs. Vega I-"

"Now Jade, let me finish. I'm not gonna try to scold you or anything, that's not my place. I just want to say that you caused my baby girl a lot of pain in the beginning, and that's something a mother hates to see. There's been some changes around here lately and Tori's having to bear a lot on her shoulders, and I don't want things to be any harder for her than they have to be. I've seen that you two have been getting friendly over the past few days, and I'm happy for that. I just want to be sure you're not trying to do something cruel to her. She's very trusting and gives her all to people in hopes that she'll get it back."

Jade suddenly felt very uncomfortable. This overwhelming protectiveness was something Jade wasn't used to at all, since her parents didn't seem to feel the same way as Tori's did. She could tell by the look in Mrs. Vega's eyes that she was trying to put it across as politely and understanding as possible, but there was an absolutely unmistakable ferocity that told Jade if she screwed up, she would be answering to her.

"Tori's been helping me deal with some, um, "things" around my household as well. My parents aren't as supportive as you are to Tori about Hollywood Arts, and she's been really great to talk to."

"I'm glad to hear that. You alright, though? You seem a little shaky. Do you want some coffee to take with you?"

"Actually yeah, that would be nice. Thanks Mrs. Vega." A minute later Mrs. Vega handed her a full travel mug. Jade accepted the coffee and said thanks, then turned and headed through the door.

When she got home, it was still only six fifteen am, so there wasn't a whole lot of options. Jade was still tired from getting a workout in her sleep, but she wouldn't be able to get comfortable again without taking a shower first. Jade stripped right in the middle of her room and just left her clothes where they fell, heading into the bathroom to the solitude of 4 sides and hot water.

She let the water run for a few minutes while she looked in the mirror, playing with her hair and semi-sculpting her eyebrows. When she finally did step into the water, it was like a bolt of lightning to her body. The dream had left her extra sensitive, so the hot water coupled with the jets from the shower head were like pulses of pleasure a hundred times over.

The dream played over and over in Jade's head as she washed her body slowly, enjoying the oversensitive feel of her fingertips and the running droplets of water. In the middle of lathering up, she fell back against the shower wall, overcome with exhaustion and arousal. There was a throbbing between her legs that was getting harder to ignore, and frankly, it sounded like a good idea. Jade trailed the tip of a finger straight down between her breasts and past her midsection. She gasped as soon as her finger slid over her center, squeezing her eyes shut tight. Her elbow bent back and forth as her arm worked, tracing and circling the source of heat on her body. After a few minutes, she slid over the button that throbbed since the minute she woke up, and then inside herself, and instantly felt waves of electricity pound her body. The images of grinding her hips into Tori's thigh flooded into her mind. She could feel the ghost of Tori's lips on hers, with the faintest smell of vanilla when she kissed Tori's neck that she didn't notice before. Jade squeezed her hand with her thighs and her legs shook, sliding down the wall as her wrist waxed and waned. She felt heat rising from her center up into her stomach, so she picked up the pace, biting her lip as she saw herself biting Tori's in her dream. Her orgasm peaked, and for the next couple of minutes all she could hear was water crashing down from the shower head.

The waves of ecstasy lapped from head to toe over and over, and Jade was so out of breath and energy that she couldn't even stand up. What seemed like ten minutes later, she finally mustered up the strength to stand on her own, and it took another five minutes before she could finish her shower. She got out and dried off, then headed to find something to wear.

Still tingling all over, Jade got dressed slowly, as every brush of fabric against her skin sent her reeling. She laid down on her bed, exhausted and on the verge of passing out. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed, but just as sleep was about to creep over, Jade's eyes opened wide and stared straight at the ceiling. She had just gotten herself off in the shower while thinking about Tori Vega.

Jade panicked for a minute, not knowing how to feel about what she had just realized. She didn't even like girls, or at least she didn't think so. She had gay friends, being gay wasn't the issue. Or bisexual, whatever the case may be. The issue was that her dream was about Tori of all people. They had spent a lot of time together lately, and a lot of that time was over some pretty emotional issues, so maybe that was the case. Jade tried for minutes to talk herself into an explanation that comforted her, but the fact was that she had some unexplained feelings, and the fact that those feelings might be something toward Tori scared her. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep after that.

Jade woke up around eleven o'clock. As soon as she opened her eyes, the memories of what happened hours earlier flooded back to her. She sighed deeply and got up, knowing that laying in bed thinking about it obsessively wasn't going to help. She decided to distract herself with homework, since it needed to be done anyway, so she grabbed her bag and unzipped it, pulling out her notebook.

Her mind wasn't really in the right spot to be writing a paper, but it had to be done, so she trudged through it with the least amount of work to get a passable grade. As she was nearing the end of the paper, she heard her phone buzz. Before she even picked it up, Jade saw Tori's name on the screen and froze. She wasn't sure she would be able to talk to Tori right now after what had just happened, and Tori ended up hanging up amidst Jade's inner struggle.

Jade finished up her paper as quickly as she could, barely even remembering to put her name on it, and stuffed it back in her bag. She stood up and paced her room back and forth. Trying to deal with all these new feelings was proving difficult, and to make matters worse, half of the problem she was having was having her go-to person being the cause of the feelings in the first place. Her phone buzzed again mid-stride, this time it was a text message. She read it slowly and closed her eyes, trying to think of something to write.

After making an excuse to Tori by hinting she didn't want to be around Beck, which was, in her defense, at least partially true, Jade tried to think of something to do to fill up the rest of her day so she wasn't dwelling on the thoughts in her head, and decided on going to the book store.

Tori had set out some food in assorted bowls on the kitchen table for the group to pick at when they got there. Beck and Robbie were the first to arrive as they carpooled, and Andre wasn't far behind. They sat around and talked about how many people they expected to show up to the production, what Sikowitz would be wearing, etc. until Cat showed up, wheeling a big suitcase. Andre helped her bring it inside while Beck was busy texting, and she parked it next to the table, helping Tori move the snacks from the table to the counter so they had space to work.

The boys got to work on setting up the first scene of the production while Cat and Tori sorted through the fabrics on the table. Cat got out her notebook and showed Tori some of the sketches she had come up with, which were by no surprise impressive. Tori started grabbing fabric to match the shaded colors of the sketch and put them in one pile while Cat got pins and thread ready.

When the girls started putting pieces together to pin, there was a knock at Tori's door. She jogged over to answer it, and was surprised to find Jade West waiting to be invited in.

"Jade."

"Yeah, I started to feel a little better, so I figured I'd come see what was going on."

"Cool. Come on in. Hey everyone, look who showed up."

"Yeah, hi." Jade waved a hand lazily but didn't look up. Beck looked at Jade and then at Tori, and decided they were going to have to be friends at some point, so he said "Hey Jade" and sipped his drink. She responded with a small wave and a weak smile that didn't reach her eyes as she walked inside. Beck was back at his phone texting again, and when he put it back in his pocket he gave Jade an awkward smile.

An hour or so passed, and the boys had gotten into the third act. This act required a female to play the captured lass, so Tori offered to stand in while Jade helped Cat with the costumes. Beck played the Captain of the ship, and Andre his First Mate. Robbie, the second lead in the protagonist group, was attempting to fend off the Captain and his First Mate to save the lass, who he fancied very much. The boys all had swords from the prop department at school, and were reenacting an intense scene from a pirate movie they had enjoyed as kids.

Tori watched as Robbie fended both of them off with his expert swordsmanship and jumped up on to a taller platform (in this case, Tori's living room table) for the final speech. Robbie called a time out, saying something about needing water, so the guys broke for five. They headed into the kitchen and grabbed some drinks out of the fridge and stepped over to the table to watch Cat work her magic.

Before they could start the final act, there was another knock at the door, and Tori walked confusedly over to open it. This time there was a very pretty blonde girl staring back at her, but Tori had no clue who she was. She turned around and instantly noticed the stone cold look in Jade's eyes, quickly finding Beck to confirm the feeling she had in her gut. Beck walked over to the door and waved her inside with a sideways look at Tori for approval. Tori nodded ever so slightly and stepped out of the way while the blonde replied a bright "thank you" and flashed her pearly whites.

"Everyone, this is Jennifer. She's the fashion editor at Teen Vogue." There was a collective murmur of "Ohs" and "Cools."

"Jade! How very lovely to see you again." Jade was so taken aback not only by Beck having this woman show up at Tori's house in front of everyone, but talking to her pointedly like they were friends. "Cat's got your tongue, I see. Pity."

"No I don't" said Cat, looking at the woman with confusion. Andre stifled a laugh in the background and Robbie smiled really wide.

"Jennifer is here to pick me up for our interview. Sorry Rob, gotta cut this short."

"Its okay, Jade can fill in for you."

"No I can't."

"Well sure you can its easy you just-" Jade turned and walked from the door towards the couch, cutting Robbie off in mid-sentence. Everyone stood in an awkward silence for about a minute before Tori tried to break it gently.

"Well then. It was nice to meet you Jennifer. Beck, I guess we'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Sure thing." He smiled genuinely.

"Nice to meet you all" cooed the sassy blonde, waving as she turned to walk to her car. The door shut and there was another awkward silence, but it was ended quickly by Andre suggesting they pick up where they left off. They set back up for the final scene with Andre playing the Captain, then got started.

"So, this is it, aye?"

"I'm afraid so, Captain. Only one kind of pirate rules the sea on this side of the world, and that kind is human."

"We'll see who has the last laugh, boy." The Captain stepped forward dangerously, but Robbie held his ground.

Cat held up a stick with a string on the end, which held a cardboard cutout of the Moon. The Captain looked at the full Moon and howled loudly, making Tori giggle a bit, then fell to the floor in a painful transformation. When Andre stood up, he had Werewolf fangs in and one colored contact, his other eye patched over. In the play, the Captain's shirt would rip off, revealing some wolf fur underneath it.

"Who has the upper hand now, boy?" The Captain spoke slowly, tossing aside his sword for it had no use now. "Your sword can't kill me. How do you expect to survive?"

"I don't" Robbie admitted, walking down from the upper deck. "The point was never for me to kill you, because I can't. The point was for me to distract you long enough for my love to escape, so she can lead a normal, happy life away from your curse."

The Captain turned around to realize the lass had gone, letting out a hellacious roar. He pounced towards the man on all fours, going for the kill. Inches away from the man's neck, teeth barred and ready to tear muscle from bone, the werewolf pirate fell and skidded across the deck. Robbie turned to see what had caused this twist of fate, only to find his lass hanging from the Mast with a gun in her hand. The rest of the crew fell back and whimpered.

Robbie looked confused from his lass down to the dead hybrid. "How did this happen?"

"I met a man at our last port who recognized the Captain from an incident years ago. He told me the only way to kill a werewolf was a silver bullet, and he gave me this gun. Said if I got the chance to kill him, take it. To avenge his daughter." Tori walked forward and grabbed Robbie's wrist, making his body stiffen. "You're the Captain of this boat now, Robbie. It's all yours."

"Even you?" he asked, looking at Tori longingly.

"Yes, even me sailor."

Robbie leaned in to kiss Tori, who backed away swiftly making Robbie miss and almost fall over. Everyone laughed a little except for Robbie, who looked really disappointed. Tori turned around and headed back to the kitchen where Cat was, only to realize Jade was gone.

"Guys have you seen Jade?"

"No, I was watching the show" Cat replied, eyes now down on her project.

"We were in the scene, I wasn't paying attention" Andre added, the pointed to the door. "Her shoes are gone, she must've left after Beck."

Tori felt awful about the scene with Beck and Jennifer in front of Jade. Now she felt even worse that Jade had slipped away, probably thinking no one cared enough to ask her if she wanted to talk about it. Tori grabbed her phone and sent a text message, hoping Jade would get it and come back.

_Jade, come back. Please? I need you here. -Tori_

Tori sent the message and decided that Jade would come back if she wanted to, then sat back down at the table to continue helping Cat. A couple more hours went by and Cat had all the designs done for the show. All she would have to do is have the actors put them on and do some last minute hemmings and trims. Robbie had the script down pat, and Andre was congratulating him on a job well done when Cat finished putting her stuff away.

"Alright, I'm gonna head out. I'm supposed to be having dinner with my parents."

"Yeah I should head out too. Beck left me his car keys so I can get home." Robbie pulled out the keychain and waved it in front of his face.

"Yeah, I gotta make sure my grandma is alright. She's been seein' stuff again."

"Alright guys, thanks for coming over" Tori said sweetly, and everyone smiled and hugged each other. When the last one was out the door, Tori headed into the kitchen to clean up the snacks and put the living room back together.

She finished picking up the house and got everything back to its natural order, then figured it would be a good idea to go wash up before dinner. Tori headed upstairs and started peeling off layers as she went since no one was home, getting ready to hop in the shower. She walked into her room in only her bra and underwear, throwing the clothes into the basket and opening her top dresser drawer to get a replacement for each. She was about to unstrap her bra when Jade piped up.

"Tori."

Tori screamed, not knowing Jade was still in the house. Her room was kind of dark since the blinds were drawn, and Jade was sitting in the desk chair in the other corner of the room. "Jesus Jade, what the hell are you doing up here?"

"I'm sorry. Seeing that girl again just got me thinking, and I really didn't feel like being around anyone after that."

"Well you could have at least told me you were coming up here."

"I didn't want anyone to worry during the rehearsal so I just popped out when you were all busy."

Tori walked over to the other side of the room and looked at the floor. Jade's boots were sitting next to her feet. Tori laughed a little, and even Jade cracked a smile when she figured out what Tori was looking at. "Well what's the deal, Jade? Who is this girl?"

"Beck said she wanted to interview him I guess. He said something about wanting to have female friends without me being jealous, and when we broke up he started hanging out with her almost immediately."

"Well, people are going to do what they're going to do I guess."

"Yeah I know that, still sucks seeing it right in your face though. Especially the next day or two after."

Tori looked Jade in the eyes. She looked tired, upset, like she was battling herself over the things that had happened. A fluttering feeling in her stomach, almost like butterflies, threw Tori off guard, and she looked away quickly.

"What's the matter, Tor?"

"Oh it's nothing. You, are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"Well, maybe a hug would be nice, even though you are almost naked."

"Well I figured you would have gotten enough of hugging me last night." Tori winked at Jade playfully.

Jade's insides completely freaked out. She didn't show it on her face, but her heartbeat tripled and she felt like she was going to throw up, cry and scream all at the same time. "Oh, the snuggling? I'm just a cuddle bear, what can I say? Also you're the one that sent me a text saying you needed me here." Jade played it off as coolly as she could, and Tori stepped up and pulled her into a tight hug. Tori felt an odd sensation in her stomach, sourcing from the fact that she didn't even remember writing _I need you here_.

It wasn't a normal hug, that was for sure. The two girls held each other tight, like if they let go they would never see each other again. Tori nuzzled into Jade's neck, smelling the sweet pea perfume on her hoodie. She closed her eyes and let go for a minute, and she had to admit, it felt really good.

Jade wrapped her arms around Tori's waist, moving her head to the side to let Tori slide in to her neck. She smelled the pomegranate shampoo that Tori had in her bathroom, and it relaxed her. She drug her fingers along Tori's lower back softly, tracing little designs in Tori's exposed skin with her nails. Tori arched her back a little and pressed harder into Jade, causing Jade to stiffen up a bit. She opened her mouth wide to stretch her jaw out, trying to expel the carnal impulse to kiss Tori her dream fueled.

Jade eventually felt like she couldn't hold it much longer and broke the hug. Tori looked at Jade bleary-eyed, like she was really comfortable and didn't want to move.

"Do you want to stay for dinner? It's just me here tonight."

Jade wanted to stay, but she felt she needed to get some space before she did something she would regret. The sudden pull the half Latina girl had on her was frightening. "I wish I could, but my parents have commanded that I eat dinner with them tonight. My dad has a business partner coming for dinner and his partner has a daughter my age." Jade was alight with mock excitement and it made Tori laugh.

"Well, don't give into them too much. That wouldn't be very Jade West."

"Oh believe me, they will regret making me be there. I promise."

Jade put her boots on and the girls headed downstairs. Tori opened the door and said bye to Jade, who gave her one more quick hug before walking out to her car. Tori watched as Jade drove away, then turned back inside and clicked the door into place. She headed upstairs and took a quick shower, trying to skate over all of the balled up feelings she was bombarded with, making a note to sort those over when she went to bed.

She decided on a simple dinner of a small salad since she was by herself, then plopped down in front of the TV in the living room. She ate on the couch while she flip through the channels, stopping to watch a news story about a panda bear flying on an airplane.

Eventually running out of channels to flip through, Tori turned the TV off and put her salad bowl in the sink, then headed upstairs. It was around five forty five, but being a Sunday there wasn't much going on. Tori laid on her bed and closed her eyes. What she found very interesting though, was when she closed her eyes, all she saw was herself, hugging Jade.

Tori wasn't sure if the hug a sign or something, but she knew she had been having weird feelings when Jade was around, especially when they made eye contact. The hug was long and really close, definitely more than just a normal friend hug. Jade seemed to want to get closer to her, almost consume her. The scariest part about it was, she wasn't sure she _didn't _ want Jade to consume her.

Tori's thought were a blur of her and Jade. Talking, laughing, hugging. Having a good time watching movies, fighting about something mean Jade had said. Walking and talking at the park, Tori feeling abandoned when she woke up alone. Jade ignoring her in front of their friends, Jade and Tori brushing lips in the softest of ways. Not even five minutes later, she was out like a light.

**A/N: Well, the dream scene and the shower scene were both 100% unplanned, haha. I felt like some of you might have been getting bored, so I decided to throw a little bit of spice in to help you along? Did you like it? Not like it? More smut? No smut? More fluff? Let me know what you'd like to read and I'll do my best to deliver.**


	6. Now Like Photographs

Having fallen asleep at an absurdly early hour, Tori managed fairly well to stay asleep through the night. She stretched and yawned, rolling over to look at the clock. Four thirty. _Could be worse_, she thought, climbing swiftly out of bed. Something about a good night's sleep always put a pep in her step. Since it was a little too early to start clanging around downstairs, Tori decided to shower first, and then pick out something to wear.

Although she felt well rested, her body was a little sore from the extra hours of sleep she didn't normally get, so the heat from the shower was welcoming. Tori changed the setting on the shower head from spray to pulse, and almost instantly she was transported back to the dream she had already mostly forgotten. Pressure points tingled from her head to her toes, which curled inward slightly. The ghost of a pair of hands on her hips gave Tori chills, in spite of the water temperature. The memory of lips on her collar bone ordered goosebumps, her back arching on its own. The smell of sweet pea filled her nose, making her eyes shoot open immediately. Jade. She knew she was feeling some weird things, but had no idea they were even close to _that_. Once she had Jade in her mind though, she didn't seem to want to go away. The rest of the shower was quick in an attempt to get out of the heated haze.

Tori walked back into her room wrapped in a towel, mind set on finding something comfortable to wear on a bleary Monday morning. She looked out the window and saw that it was overcast and dark with a very slight mist. Banking on the weather being nice to her, Tori grabbed a short sleeved button up shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. She slipped a pink tank top on over her bra and put the collared shirt on after it, only buttoning it up half way, then laid back on her bed to shimmy into the crazy tight jeans. She grabbed a pink and white striped tie that was loosely knotted and threw it over her head, letting it fall lazily to the side.

The next twenty minutes or so was dedicated to hair and makeup. Tori twisted a thin braid on each side of her face, then put in some red feather earrings. A few pokes of Mascara, lip liner and gloss, two quick swipes of light purple eyeshadow, and she was good to go. With a dab of her signature vanilla perfume on each side of her neck, Tori grabbed her phone and her bag then headed downstairs.

By the time she was getting to the staircase to head down, she heard Trina start banging around towards the bathroom. The woman had no class when it came to respecting other people, and Tori was very glad she had gotten out unscathed with everything finished. She walked into the kitchen and started peeling a banana when she heard some noises at the front door. Not really sure who she knew that would be coming to her front door at five twenty in the morning, Tori put the banana down on the counter and walked towards the door slowly, phone in hand.

Mr. Vega unlocked the door successfully and turned the handle, opening the door slowly and carefully to try and not make much noise. Tori stepped back and let out a breath when she realized it was her Dad, who jumped at the noise.

"Oh hey kiddo, I didn't think you'd be awake." Tori's Dad looked awful. His beard had grown in generously and he had dark circles under his eyes. He smiled at Tori and inched his way in the house with a suitcase.

"Hey Dad, what's goin' on?"

"I just came to uh, grab some things." He wasn't sure how much Tori's Mom had told her. Truth be told he came over so early to hopefully avoid the girls; he didn't want to have to explain anything at this stage. Tori could tell he didn't want to get any more into it than he had to, so she didn't pry.

"Right. How've you been? Haven't seen you in a few days."

"Just been workin' as usual doll." Tori's dad took his shoes off by the door and headed for the stairs. "I gotta head up and grab the rest of my clothes real quick, I have a shift in an hour."

"Okay."

Tori picked her banana back up and ate it slowly, happy that she got to see her Dad, but sad that he was only coming to take more things out of the house. She knew that her Mom and Dad would do whatever they needed to do though, whether they ended up getting back together or not. It didn't really matter if they were together, as long as they were each happy and Tori got to see them both at least sometimes.

Her Dad came back down about ten minutes later, suitcase packed and ready to go. He put his shoes back on and turned to Tori, walking over to pull her into a hug.

"I miss ya kid, believe that."

"I miss you too Dad. Hopefully when you and Mom work some of this out we'll be able to go out for dinner or something and actually talk, even if it has to be just me and you."

"Trust me, I wouldn't miss that for the world. I gotta go doll, love you." He kissed Tori on top of the head, trying not to mess up her hair.

"Love you too Dad." She patted him on the back and watched him walk through the door. Trying to think of a way to kill some time, Tori turned the TV on and found the local weather channel she and her mom liked, hoping she would see some clear skies for the afternoon.

Jade woke up around six forty five, peering towards the window with one eye. It wasn't raining, but it looked like it wanted to, so she planned on dressing warm. Having already taken a shower the night before, Jade got dressed immediately, choosing a pair of black jeans, a dark purple long sleeved shirt and a thin, dark purple sweater vest with white accents that matched the shirt. Assuming it was just as cold as it looked, she finished the outfit off with an asphalt gray hoodzip that had skulls patterned on it, spraying some perfume on it before heading up to the kitchen.

Her Dad was sitting at the island, finishing up a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. The headline read "SCANDAL: Hollywood Producers Allegedly Involved in Child Sex Ring." As soon as Jade stepped into the kitchen, her Dad held the paper up so she could see it plainly.

"This is the shit I'm always talking about. Right here."

"Jesus give it a rest Dad, it's seven in the morning."

"This is real Jade, it happens all the time."

"No it _doesn't_ happen ALL the time. If it did, they would have busted these people a long time ago."

"Well I've read my share of experiences. I mean look at Corey Haim, did you see what he said about people touching kids in the industry? Its sickening."

"No Dad, I didn't. Believe it or not I'm not one for gossip."

"It's not gossip, this shit is real and it's one of the reasons I wish you could get your head on straight and go to a real school."

Jade closed her eyes and didn't say anything for a minute. She was so used to her Dad giving her speeches on what she should be doing with her life that it didn't even phase her anymore, but every once in a while there was that little itch to just yell and tell him to mind his own business. "I'm going to school. Hollywood Arts, maybe you'll stop by and have lunch with your little girl sometime?" Jade smiled sweetly and grabbed a bagel off of the cutting board.

"Everything's a joke to you isn't it? You're not gonna be laughing when you're thirty and busing tables at a diner because you can't get a job as an actress."

"What you just said is wrong in so many ways I don't even know where to start." Jade grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, then walked out of the kitchen without another word. Once her shoes were on she headed out to her car, slamming the door behind her.

The drive to school was slow. Monday morning traffic was always a bummer, especially on an overcast day like today. Jade always stopped at a coffee shop called "Bean n Gone" on her way to school and got an extra large hazelnut coffee with 2 cream and 2 sugars. The barista was named Taylor, and he always looked at Jade like she was going to steal something when she came in, which gave her a sick feeling of satisfaction.

Jade picked up her usual and got to school with about ten minutes to spare, heading straight for her locker to get her bag situated for the day. As she stepped through the doors, the first thing she set her eyes on was Tori Vega. Her step slowed just slightly, watching the slender tan girl clean out some old papers and get her own bag situated.

"Close your mouth before you start drooling" some kid sneered as he passed, his eyes following from Jade's to Tori's.

"Up yours, geek" Jade retorted, loud enough that he would hear it, but also loud enough that Tori could hear it.

Tori turned around and waved to Jade, picking her bag up and slinging it over her shoulder. Making eye contact with Tori was a mistake. As soon as Jade stared into those golden brown pools, she got really nervous and started fidgeting. She didn't know why the girl made her so nervous all of a sudden, but it was really annoying.

"Hey Jade."

"Hey Tor." Tori beamed, looking especially good in her preppy outfit and skin tight jeans. Jade gave Tori a once over as she stretched, eyes lingering around her midsection, finding an appeal in her flat stomach and the edges of ab muscles coming in, visible when her shirt rode up. Tori finished her stretch and caught Jade looking, a stupid smile on her face as she waited for her to say something.

"Um...Jade?"

"Yeah...yeah." Jade snapped back to reality and looked up at Tori, smiling and swinging her arms a little nervously.

Tori noticed Jade looked a little different than normal. The hoodie had skulls on it which was pretty typical, but her shirt was purple and white with a sort of clean style to it. Definitely not Jade's normal style. She noticed a look of what seemed like excitement in Jade's eyes, which was a little too much crazy for Tori to handle, especially on a Monday morning.

"So uh, got your eye on someone lately?"

Jade all of a sudden looked nervous, not wanting to make eye contact. "No, why do you say that?"

"Your outfit is...different. Not something you would usually wear, so I figured you might be trying to catch someone's attention. So, which boy is it?"

"There is no boy" Jade replied, which was technically true.

"You'll tell me eventually, I know it. I'll get it out of you somehow."

"Just leave it alone okay Vega, there's nothing. Drop it."

Jade walked away briskly, leaving Tori startled and confused in her wake. Not knowing what she did to make Jade angry, Tori picked up her bag and headed for R&B Vocals, vowing to herself she would figure it out so she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

First hour was alright. Andre was his usual chipper self, commenting on Tori's outfit when she came in and sat down next to him. Tori said her thank you and set her bag on the floor, leaning back in the chair. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, puffing out her cheeks and then letting it go, her lips producing a well rounded 'pop.' Andre smiled, turning in his chair to face her.

"What's up chica? Someone got ya down?"

"No, not down. Confused, though. Definitely confused."

"Well, what's so confusing?"

"I don't know. It's like, we hang out, have fun, do things girlfriends do you know. But it's only outside of school. When we're here, it's like she doesn't know me or doesn't want to be seen with me. I know she can be fun and funny and a good listener, but it just seems like when we go too long being nice to each other she feels she has to ruin it somehow."

Andre shook his head with a smile. "That girl still got you twisted up at night?"

Tori's eyes widened in shock. "What does that mean?"

"It just seems like you want to be friends with her so bad it probably keeps you up at night, coming up with ideas to get and stay on her good side." Andre laughed at his attempt of a joke, but hearing someone mention Jade being on her mind at night scared Tori to death. The visions from her last dream came back in bits and pieces, making Tori squirm a little in her chair as she saw a part of it a little too clearly in her mind's eye.

Tori and Jade had gone to the movies that night to see some horror movie Jade was raving about, something to do with scissors. After buying tickets and drinks, the girls went and found seats in the back row towards the middle. The previews came and went relatively quickly, and the lights dimmed to signal the start of the feature presentation. A group of kids towards the front wooped and hollered, making Jade smile. Tori figured she was in for a gorefest of corpses cut into bits with scissors, so she just smiled painfully and laughed.

Not long into the movie, Tori had twisted in her seat to face Jade, covering the side of her face with her hand. Jade stole a few sideways glances and giggled every time she saw Tori wince.

"Come on you big goof, you're gonna miss all of the good action."

"Jade, this is ridiculous. That woman got her revenge already, now she's just gutting people for fun."

"I know, isn't it cool?"

Tori looked at Jade in amazement. Just as she was about to respond, a jump scare caused Tori to scream out loud and grab Jade's hand, making Jade and the group towards the front start laughing in unison.

"Jade, it's not funny!"

"I'm sorry Tor, you're just so adorable when you're scared."

A few minutes later, Jade noticed Tori still had a hold of her hand, fingers interlocked and all. Making sure her innocent-as-a-bunny friend was okay, Jade kept making frequent glances out of the side of her vision, and when she saw Tori start to slide down in her seat a bit, she made small, calming circle patterns on Tori's hand with her thumb, trying to tell her without words that she was there and it was just a movie. Tori relaxed in her seat and looked over at Jade and smiled.

"Hey Tor, snap out of it girl, we gotta sing!"

"Wha...? Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"Where'd you go?" Andre laughed, looking at Tori like she had just come back to the present from some far away place in her mind.

"I was just remembering something, nothing big."

"If you say so. Lead it off."

A little bit later the bell rang, and Tori and Andre made their way out to their lockers. Jade was nowhere to be found, which wasn't totally uncharacteristic of her, but it was frustrating, seeing as Tori wanted to talk to her. She saw Cat at her locker switching out books for her next class and decided to ask her where Jade might be.

"Cat, do you know where Jade is?"

"Hey Tori! I haven't seen her, but if she's not around, she's probably in the Janitor's closet."

"The...Janitor's closet?"

"Yeah, she goes there when she wants to get away from stuff. It's supposed to be a secret though, so don't tell her I told you."

"Okay, thanks Cat."

"Kaykay, bye Tori."

Tori walked over to the Janitor's closet and turned the handle. Locked. She jiggled it from side to side a couple times, but it didn't budge. Surely Jade couldn't be in there, but where would she be? Tori looked through the window but didn't see anything until she moved to the very edge and peeked to the side, seeing Jade's boots. She knocked on the door, hoping Jade would come answer it.

A few seconds later the door swung open, and Tori walked inside. It smelled a little dusty and sterile at the same time, and also a little like Jade's perfume. She was sitting on a chair in the corner of the closet with her coffee cup resting on one of the shelves. She had her PearPod in her hand and earbuds in, listening to Tori didn't know what. There was only one chair in the closet, so Tori just stood awkwardly while Jade listened to her music in silence, eyes closed.

After a couple of minutes Jade took the earbuds out and looked at Tori. She looked like she wanted to say something, but the words didn't come out. Tori smiled sympathetically, and it seemed to raise Jade's courage.

"Sorry for acting weird earlier. I've been having a lot of...odd feelings lately. Stuff I'm not used to. Stuff that's hard to get under control."

"It's okay Jade, I've been dealing with the same thing."

"You have?"

"Yeah. Some strange dreams and weird..."

"Urges?"

Tori shot a challenging look at Jade. Did Jade know what she was thinking? Was she dealing with the same thing? "Uh, yeah. It's kind of..."

"Weird."

"Yeah, it is."

The two girls sat in silence for a minute, then Jade stood up and walked over to Tori, standing ten-toe. They looked into eachother's eyes, the only sound in the room being quickened breaths. Both girls looked at each other almost in challenge, a strange mental dance to see who was thinking what. Tori could smell hazelnut and sweet pea. Jade could smell vanilla and spearmint. The space between their lips so miniscule you wouldn't be able to see light pass between them. Tori leaned forward a fraction of an inch, and suddenly there was a jingling sound from outside as the Janitor tried to put they key in the handle to unlock the door.

The girls jumped backwards from each other as the Janitor walked in. He smiled a little and shook his head.

"Jade, I told you I wouldn't tell on you if you needed to get away for a minute, but bringing friends with you is a different story. You're gonna get me in trouble if Lane finds out you're skipping classes to hang out in here and make out with your girlfriend."

Tori and Jade both turned a hilarious shade of red, making the Janitor laugh.

"We aren't girlfriends...or girlfriend and girlfriend...together. Whatever it is." Jade looked down at her shoes as she spoke.

"Sure looks to me like there's something going on here."

"Well...there isn't. And don't say anything Walt. I'll find your house if you do."

The Janitor smiled hugely at Jade's threat. "I'm sure you will kiddo. Now out, both of you. Go to class."

Tori was closest to the door so she moved first, not making eye contact with the Janitor as she walked by. The hall was empty and the girls were both late for their next class. Jade had already been late to Math twice that month, so a third time earned her a detention for an hour after school that day. Tori had Pop Music, which was basically a theory/pitch training class, so she wasn't in trouble for being late.

The rest of the day went by without a hitch, except neither Tori nor Jade could concentrate on anything. Each one thinking back to the scene in the closet. Standing so close, breathing each other in. Fractions away from having a moment neither of them could have possibly planned or have any clue how to handle emotionally. The day was coming to an end shortly, and that meant the clock basically stopped moving. They seemed to handle it alright, though, as the final bell rang and announced their freedom. Tori's freedom at least, Jade still had detention.

There was a final rehearsal for Sikowitz' production that day after school since the premiere was the next night, so the gang decided to all stay after and watch the rehearsal and help Robbie out with his performance. Jade couldn't go, but the others would be there. Tori headed to her locker to stow her things before heading to the back wing of the school. The theater was pretty much empty aside from a few people. Final rehearsals were closed, but Robbie got special permission from Sikowitz to have the gang stop by and help. Cat was in the back doing some final touches to people's costumes, tightening seams and hemming pants. Sikowitz was talking to Sinjin and Burf, who were the audio/visual wizards for the production. Robbie was getting ready to work on an action scene with one of his costars, and the gang rallied around to help.

Beck was supplying sound effects while Andre freestyled an energetic, thriller-esque soundtrack over the speakers to help Sinjin with speaker placement and volume. Cat was doing costumes and Robbie was acting, which left Tori without anything to do. She wasn't upset though, and decided to take a seat in the audience to get a feel for what the opening night was going to be like.

A few scenes into the second act, Tori felt someone slip into the chair next to her; Jade. Her detention was over, and she had come to regroup with the gang and see what was going on. Tori instantly sat up a little straighter and cleared her throat, running a hand through her hair and smiling at Jade.

"Hey, how was detention?"

"Same as usual."

"Right, sometimes I seem to forget how much you're actually in there."

Jade smiled and nudged her shoulder into Tori's, and the girls laughed quietly together.

The scenes went on and about half way through script, Jade had no clue what was going on in the play. All she could concentrate on was the beautiful girl sitting next to her. She'd never felt anything for a girl before, much less something as strong as she felt for Tori. It came on quick and held tight, and although Jade was nervous, she was also excited. Deciding to go for broke, Jade reached over very carefully to take Tori's hand in her own. At first her arm just rested against Tori's, but then she started tapping Tori's index finger with her own. Tori lifted her fingers up slightly, and Jade seized the opportunity, sliding her hand down Tori's thigh and linking their fingers together. She looked at Tori out of the corner of her eye, who was staring straight ahead like nothing had happened, yet Jade noticed her chest rising and falling at a fast rate.

Robbie and his co-star shouted lines at each other in Pirate speak, the music from the speakers a low, tense rumble as Andre went for a climactic buildup. Tori's leg was on fire, feeling Jade's hand drag across her jeans ever so slightly was like a million tiny zaps from a taser. Her mind was going a mile a minute, scenes from her dream flashing in and out. She stole some sideways glances at Jade, who seemed to be the happiest person in the universe. Jade kept looking down at their hands linked together, a goofy smile reminiscent of someone who had just gotten out of the dentist on her face.

The rehearsal had been going for about two hours, and Jade was getting tired. She was afraid it might be pushing the envelope, but decided it couldn't hurt to try, and laid her head down on Tori's shoulder. Tori relaxed in her seat a bit and shifted to Jade's side, making her more comfortable. Jade leaned into Tori, reaching her other hand over her body and resting it on Tori's forearm. She was so relaxed and comfortable at that moment she felt like she could pass out, and that's exactly what she did.

Tori really liked the feeling of Jade pressed up against her. She leaned her head against Jade's, smelling her shampoo and smiling. Tori had gotten used to Jade's familiar smell and heat. The two of them fit well together, curves falling into all the right spots since Jade was a few inches taller. Tori's body felt tingly all over, and soon enough, she fell asleep just as Jade had.

About forty five minutes later, Tori felt someone shaking her arm. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Beck looking down at her with a thoroughly confused look on his face. Tori lifted her head up and looked to her side, seeing Jade was still asleep against her. Freaking out a little, Tori shook Jade gently, telling her she needed to wake up. Jade sat up and opened her eyes, which immediately flew wide open when she saw Beck standing there.

"What's going on over here?"

"Um...I guess we were both kinda tired and ended up falling asleep." Tori looked sideways at Jade, who formed the smallest smile Tori could barely see at the edge of her lips.

"I see that, but why were you all over each other?"

"We weren't," Jade answered quickly, "we just sort of fell this way."

"With your hands linked together?" Beck pointed to their girls' hands, which were indeed still together. Jade slipped her hand back and Tori cleared her throat, making Beck peel his eyes at the both of them. "If there's something going on here, it's okay, I'd just like to know what."

"It's nothing Beck, really. We just fell asleep, that's all." Tori gave Beck a pleading look.

"Okay then, nothing it is. Rehearsal is over, we gotta clear out."

"Kay, thanks for waking me up."

"Yeah" Jade added in.

"No problem, see you guys tomorrow." Beck walked away, but not before one more scrutinizing look at Tori.

"What do you think he thought?" Tori turned on Jade with a worried look on her face.

"He probably thought we were making out and feeling each other up during the rehearsal." Jade winked at Tori and laughed a little.

"I could think of worse things to be doing" Tori answered with a sauce to her tone, which made Jade look back at her briefly with raised eyebrows. Tori blushed hard and wiped her hands on her pants.

"Yeah, me too" Jade added as she picked up her bag, looking at Tori with a soft smile. "Let's get out of here."

Tori got home at about five o'clock. Trina and her Mom were both in the kitchen getting the table ready, so Tori dropped her bag by the door and walked over to the kitchen table. Tori's Mom had made beef ribs with real mashed potatoes, green beans and sweet bread. The smell of barbeque sauce and buttered sweet bread made Tori's mouth water. She hadn't eaten very much that day, and the tension between her and Jade made her stomach ravenous.

"Hey hon, how was school?"

"Good. I stayed after for the rehearsal with the gang to help Robbie out."

"That's nice of you. You think everything is gonna go over well?"

Tori smiled, realizing that her interaction with Jade plus the nap they took made her clueless. "Yeah, everything looks great, they're gonna do really well."

"I doubt it. Sikowitz doesn't know what he's doing and that puppet kid you hang out with is weird."

"Trina, mind yourself." Tori's Mom rolled her eyes as she brought a plate of warm buttered rolls to the table.

Tori reached for one immediately and tore a piece off, popping it into her mouth. The roll practically melted on her tongue, and she let took a deep breath in and out her nose, sighing slowly with an audible 'mmm.' Tori's Mom smiled as she returned to the kitchen to retrieve the rest of the meal.

Three ribs, mashed potatoes, green beans and three and a half rolls later, Tori felt like she was going to burst. Her Mom laughed at the overstuffed look on her face, having warned Tori that if she didn't slow down she would regret it. Tori didn't mind though, it was the best meal she'd had in a long time. She stood up and grabbed her plate, carrying it to the garbage disposal to scrape off the last little pieces of bean left over before rinsing it off and putting it in the dish washer.

Trina started up some conversation with their Mom about how she needed some expensive cosmetic appointment at a Beverly Hills doctor her friend Melanie went to. Tori's Mom just smiled and started clearing the table, telling Trina without telling her that she wasn't going to give her an absurd amount of money to have some guy inject her daughter's lips with fat from her butt.

Tori headed upstairs to her room, grabbing her bag from next to the door on the way up and dropping it next to her bedside table. Feeling full and drowsy, Tori turned her TV on and flipped through a couple channels as she laid on her bed. She stopped on an episode of Ellen that was dedicated to Bullying, seeing a small-built boy with glasses and the saddest pair of eyes she'd ever seen. The boy explained about how he had transferred to a new school when his Dad died and the kids at the new school weren't very accepting. He was smaller than the rest of his peers since he was smart, and had been upped a few grades to be more challenged intellectually.

The other guests on the show were a girl with self-harm issues and a girl that had recently come out as gay. The former had been bullied because of visible cut and burn marks on her skin. It started from a history of being assaulted by her brother at a young age, and was perpetuated by the torture of kids at school. _What a vicious circle, _Tori thought. The latter was a teenaged girl in her Sophomore year who was bullied into quitting the cheerleading squad by the rest of the girls. She started at the beginning, describing random things that had come together to form her realization. Passive thoughts of some girls being cute. Lingering stares. Heightened sensations due to a certain perfume or shampoo scent. Even normal things like butterflies around certain girls.

Tori was entranced. Terrified, but entranced. She noticed a lot of similarities between the girl and herself. But Tori wasn't gay...was she? She'd had boyfriends in the past. The relationships didn't go anywhere, but it wasn't because she wasn't attracted to the guys, it was mostly because they were idiots.

Tori's mind ran off in a bunch of directions at once. Wondering if she was maybe bisexual or something. After a little while of laying there with so many thoughts zooming through her mind, seeing Jade's luminescent smile in her head made her smile, and with that Tori realized that she could be okay with it. That didn't mean she wasn't horrified about the possibility of falling in love with Jade and having to come out to her friends and family, especially after the things she'd heard the girl on TV say. But Tori knew that not every coming out went like that. There were some people that came out and everything was fine. Hopefully if that was the case she wouldn't lose any friends over it.

In the middle of Ellen's wrap-up, Tori's phone rang. It was Jade.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, just watching some TV on my bed."

"Wanna get out for a bit? It's not raining."

Tori smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good. What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking about going down to the boardwalk or something, get some fresh air."

"Okay. Do you want me to meet you there?"

"It's okay, I'll come get you. Be ready in twenty?"

"Sure thing."

"Okay, see you in a few."

Tori could hear Jade's smile over the phone, and it made her grin so hard it hurt. All the thoughts from the show came flooding back. If liking Jade made Tori gay, then she would have to be okay with it, because as far as she knew, she did like Jade.

Tori freshened up a bit, splashing a bit of water on her face and drying off. She redid her mascara and lip gloss, then re-braided her hair while she waited. A quick refresher squirt of perfume and she was ready to head downstairs. Her Mom was finished in the kitchen, now sitting on the couch in the living room looking at the guide on the TiVo. Tori grabbed her shoes and sat down on the love seat, slipped them on and checked her phone.

"Where ya goin' sweetie?"

"Jade's coming to get me. I think we're going to the boardwalk to just hang out and get a little exercise."

"Okay. Have fun, be home by eleven."

"I will. Love you Mom."

"Love you too, hon."

Jade pulled up into Tori's driveway and put the car in park. Tori was already waiting outside, so Jade waved as she walked by the front of the car and got in the passenger seat. Her walk was seductive, almost enchanting. The way she subconsciously swung her hips just a little bit with each step, along with her perfect posture and slim but muscular frame. Jade couldn't help but stare, even after she was already buckled in and ready to go.

"Are we gonna go?"

"Yes. Yes we are."

Tori laughed and Jade smiled, checking her mirrors as she backed out of the Vega's driveway. The drive to the boardwalk was about twenty minutes, so Jade plugged in her PearPod at a red light and found some music to play, choosing the third album by her favorite band, Six Parts Seven. The music started slow and smooth, carrying the scenery past the window in the fashion of a cinematic montage. Jade kept looking for Tori every time she checked her mirrors to see how she was enjoying the music. This band was something very special to her, and she really hoped Tori liked it. From the way Tori stared out the window, tapping her fingers on her thigh to the down beat, Jade figured she liked it, which made her smile really big.

Once they got to the boardwalk, they found a parking spot relatively close and got out, heading towards the water. It was still overcast and wet outside, so not many people were out and about. Usually this place was bustling with attractive young people looking to find an outlet for their hormones, but not today. The waves crashed in hard, seagulls surveying the sand for something left behind.

"It's weird being out here when no one's here."

"Yeah, usually you can't even move in this place."

The two girls walked along the sidewalk that led to the pier some 50 yards ahead. They walked slowly, eyes mostly glued to the sky or the waves. Eventually coming up on the pier, they turned to head down to the end and hang out for a bit, maybe catch a bit of a sunset if the clouds let up. Passing all of the closed shops, they came up to the end of the pier, rails blocking off the edge. Tori put a foot up on the bottom rail and stretched her legs out.

Jade leaned over and dragged her sleeve-covered hand over the railing, drying off a spot for each of them to lean on. Tori couldn't help but smile; she never pegged Jade as the chivalrous type.

"It's really beautiful, though. The dark overtones in the clouds and the way the sea seems to lash at the shore. The anticipation in the air so vibrant it's almost visible." Jade turned towards Tori and looked her right in the eyes. "You look all around you and just know that trillions of molecules are colliding and changing, upsetting the delicate balance of the breeze." She stepped forward and hooked her finger through one of Tori's belt loops, hearing Tori's breath catch in her throat. "You can smell the crescendo in the distance, and it just makes you feel...alive."

And then Jade was pressing her lips to Tori's lips, and Tori was pressing her hips into Jade's hips, and Jade's hands were on Tori's waist and Tori's arms were around Jade's neck with her hands buried in her hair. After what seemed like hours the two separated, but only by an inch.

Jade looked at Tori full on, determined to not shy away this time. She could barely breathe out for fear of throwing up. She was so nervous that she did the wrong thing. The signs were there. She'd dropped a few hints, and Tori hadn't seemed to push her away. Still, the thought that she forced herself onto Tori was nagging at her, and she got more and more antsy.

"Tori please say something, I'm getting really self conscious."

Tori's mouth was already wide open, her jaw slammed against the ground, taking in long, raspy breaths. All she had to do was just force out some words, but at that moment, should would be better off trying to rip the rail she was leaning against out of the concrete. Her heart was hammering against her chest. Her vision was blurred on the edges. All things considered, and the only thing she could think about was doing it again.

Tori leaned forward slowly as to not scare her, and pressed her lips against Jade's softly, pecking once, then twice. She hovered for a second, planting one more before tracing Jade's bottom lip with her tongue. Jade moaned into Tori's mouth and fell back a little as her legs almost buckled from underneath her. Tori wrapped a supporting arm around Jade's waist, turning their bodies so Jade was leaning back against the rail. Jade reached an arm up and slid her fingers through Tori's hair slowly, feeling the vibrations against her body as a shiver slid down Tori's spine. She kissed back softly but determined, parting her lips a little at the feeling of Tori's tongue. Jade grabbed Tori's hip with her left hand, pulling her closer into her body so Tori's hips straddled over top of Jade's right leg, and vice versa.

Tori brought her tongue back and pressed into Jade's lips, giving the next attempt a little more vigor. She nudged Jade's lip with hers in a silent way of asking her to open a little more, and Tori pushed her tongue forward, making contact with Jade's as they both buckled into each other. She could feel the heat from Jade's center soaking into her thigh as their tongues brushed each other in a formless dance.

Jade slid a hand up the back of Tori's shirt, running her fingers over her perfect skin. She was hot, and Jade imagined that her body must feel the same to the touch. She lapped at Tori's tongue once, and when it retreated she pushed forward hungrily and took Tori's bottom lip between her teeth. She only applied a tiny bit of pressure, letting her teeth slide off of Tori's lip slowly. She could feel Tori's thigh shaking between her legs, and it only served to amp her up even more.

Feeling like her heart was going to explode if she didn't stop, Jade laid a flat hand on Tori's stomach and came back for air. Both girls stood still, panting and shaking from head to toe. After a few minutes they made eye contact, both smiling and giggling like kids. Tori searched Jade's eyes to see how she was feeling, smile still etched on her face. Jade winked once and smiled back, bringing Tori in for a hug.

Tori held Jade tight for a few minutes, face buried in her neck. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the sun was going down and decided it was probably time to go. She brought her head up and looked at Jade once more, brushing her thumb over Jade's cheekbone. Jade smiled and took Tori's hand in hers, and the girls walked back to the car in silence.

Jade dropped Tori off at home, walking her up to the door when they got there.

"Thanks for taking me out, I had fun."

"Yeah, me too. Thanks for coming with me."

"Jade...I'm glad this happened, but I'm also kind of worried."

Jade felt her buzz drop slightly, and the smile on her face faltered. "What's the matter?"

"You know how we talked about feelings earlier? I think I'm starting to develop some pretty strong ones. And after what just happened, if we continue in that direction any more than we already have, I want to be sure that the path is wide enough for two people before I start walking it, because I think falling down on it would be deadly."

Jade's smile came back almost immediately. "I hear you. Tonight was nice, and all things considered, I hope we can do it again sometime. I mean _all _things."

Tori smiled as wide as she could. She leaned forward and planted one more kiss on Jade's lips before turning around and going inside. Jade watched her go until the door clicked shut, then walked a little punch-drunk to her car.

**A/N: Wowzers.**


	7. What You Love You Must Love Now

Tori walked into the house with a permanent grin splayed across her face. Everything had happened so fast she didn't even have time to process it. Things that were certain: 1. Jade was gorgeous. 2. Jade had the capacity to be very mean. 3. Jade was warming up to Tori. 4. Jade still ignored her when people were paying attention. Tori went though a number of things in her head, until she got to an interesting one. _She had feelings for Jade._

Tori was leaning against the back of the front door, grin still stapled to her cheeks when she heard the fridge open and close. She opened her eyes and saw her mom getting some apple juice out, pouring it into a small glass.

"Hey boo." Tori's mom smiled wide as she sat on the stool at the kitchen island. Tori stiffened up a little bit, remembering there were windows on each side of the front door.

"Hey mom, how was your night?"

"Not as good as yours apparently. I haven't seen you smile like that since your first performance at Hollywood Arts."

Tori's face turned beat red. "Yeah I, uh, I had a good time."

"Just you and Jade?"

"Yeah. We went to the boardwalk as planned, total ghost town."

"I see. Well deserted and gloomy isn't really your style, so why the sparkly eyes?"

Stuck for words, Tori chewed on her right index fingernail. "Uh, I don't know. I guess it was just nice to get out."

Tori's mom just smiled at her daughter and took a drink of juice. "Okay sweetie, I'm glad you had a good time." She got up from the stool and rinsed her glass out, heading to the stairs. "I'm gonna head up and go through a couple more case files before I go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

Tori was suddenly overcome with emotion. She knew that her mom saw them, she had to. The angle from the kitchen was perfect to see right out in front of the front door. Yet, she didn't bring it up. Tori got the hint, she wasn't deaf or stupid, but her mom chose to let her bring up the conversation on her own when she was ready. A lot of feelings were pulling at Tori all at once. She felt elated and giddy and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on over Jade and the night they'd just had, but she also felt love for her mom for letting her be herself and trusting her to come to her with anything she wanted to talk about. That love was the same thing that made her also feel sad, since she was so happy about her new relationship with Jade, yet her mom was going through issues with her dad.

Tori walked over and grabbed her mom, bringing her into a bone-crushing hug. "I love you mom."

"I love you too, boo." Her mom laughed softly as she ran her fingers through Tori's hair.

"Everything will be okay in the end, it's just the journey to get to the end is kinda bumpy sometimes."

"Good thing I'm a Ford tough mama bear."

Tori laughed and let her mom go, turning to head into the kitchen herself.

The intense moment with Jade took a lot out of her, and her stomach was ravenous. Deciding on light fare, she grabbed carrots, celery sticks and cauliflower and arranged them on a sectioned plate, squirting a little ranch in the circular center. Finishing off with a strawberries and cream yogurt. Tori scooped everything up and took it upstairs to her bedroom.

It was just about dark out now, streetlights visible through the de-blinded window on the far side of the room. The trees swayed silently in the fall breeze while the nocturnal species lit the night with their eyes. Tori set her platitudinous meal on the desk and grabbed some pjs to change into, but when she stepped out of her pants, she was suddenly aware of the stickiness of her legs. The discovery made her smile, relishing in the still pure memory of the pier. She resolved to eating her yogurt before it got warm, then hopping in the shower before finishing the rest.

Jade was in a crazy good mood after she had dropped Tori off at home. Thinking of using it to her advantage, she planned on stopping by Beck's RV on her way home, intent on smoothing things over and returning the group dynamic to normal. Traffic was light, so the trip to Beck's was short and sweet. She pulled up to the cream colored house that Beck's parent's owned and parked on the side of the road, only planning to stay for a minute. Stepping around the house, Jade heard Beck's voice, something in it making her slow down and approach undetected. Another voice came after which Jade immediately recognized as Jennifer's. Jade peaked around the side of the house just in time to see the two hug, and Jennifer plant a kiss on Beck's cheek.

The scene made Jade upset. She wasn't sure why, since she'd just had the most amazing kiss of her life not twenty minutes ago, but it did. Something about seeing Beck with another girl triggered her jealous impulses. The fact that her own father barely paid any attention to her unless he was cutting her down for something played a big role in her relationship with Beck. Beck listened to her, paid attention. Congratulated her on her achievements at school. All the things her dad didn't do. So when Jade saw Beck paying attention to another girl, it made her feel like she was subpar, just like her dad paid more attention to his work.

Jade wasn't sure what to do or feel at that moment. She was developing something with Tori, Beck being with someone else shouldn't matter. Tori made her feel good. They shared things that Jade didn't share with Beck. Tori understood how Jade was feeling, at least a little bit, because they were both girls going through the same thing more or less. Beck was just a boy, albeit a handsome one, so why did it feel like such a betrayal? Jade turned around and headed back for her car, desperate to get out of the current situation.

When she left Beck's house, not knowing where to go, Jade just drove. There was a certain freedom in stepping on the gas, not knowing where you'd end up, how you got there or why you left in the first place. So many uncertainties in her heart muted through iconic abandon. Before she knew it, she had found her way to the North Ridge side of town. There was a shady corner store in the top right spot of the intersection, and next thing Jade knew, she was parked on the side, away from the windows, ready to search for someone to help her.

A group of guys stood outside of the store, laughing and smoking cigarettes. Jade got out of the car and walked over in a sultry fashion, making sure to show some cleavage.

"Hey boys, do one of you have a cigarette?"

"You shouldn't smoke little lady, I'd hate for you to yellow that milky skin."

"Yeah well we all do things we shouldn't do, right?"

"I suppose you got me there." The man she was talking to pulled out a pack of Marlboro Smooths and gave her one.

"Speaking of things you shouldn't do...wanna do me a favor?"

"I'm sure I could do you all kinds of favors."

Jade's skin crawled a little. "I have a twenty dollar bill right here. Buy me a fifth of cheap Whiskey, and you can keep the change."

The others in the group chuckled and fist-pounded each other, stopping abruptly following a dangerous look from the leader. They immediately got quiet and just kind of stared at Jade while they constantly shifted their weight from one leg to the other.

"Now what does a girl like you need a bottle for?"

"Everyone likes to have fun once in a while, right?"

"Well yeah, but this kinda fun can get you in trouble, in more ways than one."

Jade looked the man hard in the face. She knew he was only putting this show on for his friends, and possibly to try to get her to leave with them, but as long as she got him to do what she wanted, it didn't matter.

"I bet you had some fun when you were my age. Right?"

The man laughed. "Oh you know I did."

"Then someone had to supply you at that time, right?"

"Well, shit. Yeah, that's true." He looked at Jade with a soft smile.

"Okay then. Here's twenty bucks, try to get me something that doesn't taste like shit." Jade smiled sweetly and handed over the bill.

The other men in the group all smirked at each other, holding brown paper bagged-bottles of their own. Two of the men passed a joint between them. Jade didn't smoke pot, but she recognized the smell from a few parties she'd been to over the last summer. The man holding the joint saw Jade looking over at them and held the joint out to her, silently asking if she wanted some.

"No thanks, I gotta drive home. Clear eyes means I don't wind up on the news. Well, barring any freak accidents."

"Smart girl, and funny to boot."

Jade smiled politely but didn't respond.

A few minutes later the leader of the group came back to them with a brown paper bag. He extended the bottle to Jade with a smile, but retracted it when she reached for it, his look changing to one of seriousness.

"Alright now, it's gettin' dark, so listen up. I did have someone buy things for me when I couldn't, but I always did that person a solid by being responsible. You get me? I don't want to have to worry about your ass and take time out of my day to watch the news and see if I find some pretty little number wrapped around a tree."

"Oh daddy, I promise I'll be good!" Jade used a similar voice to the one she mocked Tori with.

The man smiled from ear to ear for a second, then laughed really loudly. "Damn girl, you got style. Now go on, enjoy yourself, but keep it real." He handed her the bottle and nodded his head slightly.

"Thanks boss. You guys stay out of trouble, yeah?"

Someone in the back said "Always" and the group got a good laugh out of it. Jade walked to her car with a smile on her face and a bottle in her hand, intent on keeping it very real.

The scenery on the drive back looked vaguely familiar, but Jade's mind was somewhere else. She drove almost robotically, taking corners and using her turn signal as she should without even thinking about it. A few songs on her PearPod went by and she found herself back at the boardwalk. It was the same as she'd left it just an hour or two before, deserted and slightly damp. Jade walked over to the spot where her and Tori had their moment, leaning back against the rail and unscrewing the bottle.

The waves slid further and further up the beach as time went on. Jade felt her phone vibrate a dozen times in her pocket, but she didn't care. The warmth of the bottle was hugging her tight, and she didn't need to reach out to anyone. The cold air bit at her nose, but a few generous slugs into her night the bite went away. The heat coated her throat and made her limbs tingle, causing her to tip her head back against the wall. Jade West was a tightly wound young woman, but there was never a coil tight enough Jack Daniels couldn't unravel.

The bottle neared down to the halfway mark, causing Jade to go from leaning against the rail at the edge of the pier to sprawled out on the ground lying next to the cotton candy booth. She examined the bottle after bringing it down from her lips. She looked at the label, tracing over the letters with her fingers before stopping mid letter; The liquid itself was exactly the color of Tori's eyes. Jade closed her own eyes and her thoughts floated to the petite, curvy girl that had been the source of so many feelings lately. The cute, innocent girl that Jade so mercilessly picked on for virtually no reason. How could someone as bright and beautiful as Tori Vega even want to be friends with her, especially when it took so much work? Jade wasn't the kind of person Tori should be friends with. She was damaged goods, a defective toy that no one wanted because it didn't work right. She didn't used to think that way, but her dad changed that, bless his heart. Nagging Jade about school. Not just getting an education, getting the right _kind _of education. Something he approved of, that would give her a solid foothold in the "real world" where "real people" lived. Apparently, wanting something better for herself made Jade dishonorable. She always thought parents _wanted _their children to do better than them. To dream something big and do anything they could to achieve it. But when she dreamed that dream and took the steps, she found herself being held back by the very people that should have been pushing her forward.

Jade took the cigarette out of her ear and put it to her lips, realizing afterward that she didn't have a lighter. She stood up very wobbly and stumbled to her car to use the in-dash lighter. She lit her cigarette and shut the door, walking back to the spot she was sitting in moments earlier. The nicotine rush made her dizzy so she sat back down, fearing she would fall over if she tried to fight it. The smoke rose up into the air in a straight line, then spiraled off in different directions at a certain height.

Jade couldn't keep her eyes open very well, but the image in her mind was clear as day. The crystal clear disappointment in her dad's eyes whenever he looked at her. The air of indifference and frustration of paying for private schooling from her mom. The look of fear in her classmate's eyes when she walked by, like she was going to breathe fire and kill them all in one fell swoop. Tears welled up and spilled over at the image of Tori, bright-eyed and loving from the start, and still to this day through all of Jade's bullshit. She didn't deserve a girl like Tori, but she knew in her heart of hearts that Tori would be her savior. The cigarette had burned itself out, and Jade went along with it.

Tori showered quick and dressed, eating bits of her dinner between picking her hair and catching the night time local news. A few quick stories about good citizens in the community, some food recalls at a local shopping mart and a feature story about movie renting businesses going broke. Tori noticed the cover of the DVD she had watched at Jade's house and it made her smile. She grabbed her phone and sent Jade a text.

_Laverne: You still feeling okay about what happened? -Shirley_

About an hour later, Tori had finished her dinner, blow-dried her hair and painted her nails, but there was no reply from Jade. It was odd, even when Jade was mad and didn't want to talk on the phone she would usually text back immediately with some rudely delivered one-word message. This time, nothing. Tori sent another message.

_Jade: All kidding aside, we don't have to push this. Let me know what you want to do, I don't want to accidentally do something to upset you at school. -Tori_

Jade hadn't responded to either message and it was getting late. Tori wanted to go to sleep so she wasn't falling over herself at school in the morning, but she was worried about Jade. She'd even tried calling a couple times, no answer. _Maybe she feels terrible about what we did _Tori thought, pacing at the end of her bed. _Maybe she's left to try to get me out of her head. _Tori didn't like the way those thoughts made her feel, but she had to acknowledge the very real possibility that Jade could renege and not want anything to do with her the next morning.

Deciding she would just have to let Jade be Jade, Tori went to bed. She got all snuggled up under the blankets, but when she closed her eyes, sleep didn't come. It was natural for Tori to worry about her friends, but it seemed like Jade had a special place. Tori wasn't sure exactly what that meant yet, but it made her nervous.

Eventually Tori fell asleep, waking up at six thirty the next morning. She checked her phone immediately; no messages from Jade. Sighing and falling back into the pillow, Tori knew today was probably going to be a long one. She got out of bed and dressed with her eyes closed, trying to think of what was up with Jade to keep her from even her snappy one-word replies. A red v-neck shirt that stopped about an inch from her hips, jeans, black boots and a leather jacket were the choices for the day, going for stylish but comfortable for the premiere.

A quickened morning routine, made possible by her mom already being gone and Trina spending as much time in bed as possible, left Tori arriving at school about thirty minutes early. Not many people were around yet, which was actually kind of peaceful. She opened her locker and deposited her jacket, exchanging it for a room temperature bottle of water that she would take with her to R&B Vocals.

Soon after she had everything she needed, the rest of the group started arriving one by one. First Beck, then Robbie, Andre and Cat. No Jade. Tori hung around her locker as long as she could before she would be late for class, but Jade still didn't show. The walk to her first class seemed to take years, the worry and stress starting to take its toll.

The classroom was full up, and Tori headed to her seat near the front left where Andre was bobbing his head, one hand cupping a headphone pad and the other flicking through his PearPod. Tori sat down, and Andre looked up with a smile, nodding his head hello. Tori smiled back, even though she didn't really feel like it. Her mom always told her not to let her inner turmoils come out at the wrong time, and Tori planned on keeping them under wraps.

The teacher came in about the same time the bell rang to start class. Everyone turned in their seats and faced forward, pausing PearPods and taking off headphones. Tori noticed that pretty much everyone had their PearPod out, and suddenly she was worried that she had missed something.

"Andre, what's with all the headphones today?"

"We gotta sing today, did you forget?"

Realization that she had been so caught up in her feelings with Jade lately that she had ignored her schoolwork came flooding in.

"Oh god, I totally forgot. I haven't done any warmups or anything. I'm so sorry Andre."

Andre laughed and shrugged it off. "It's okay chica, you got a gift. We'll be alright."

Tori felt terrible. She didn't even know they had to sing today, and fibbed to her best friend about "forgetting" on top of it. She would have to pull out all the stops now to make sure she didn't cause Andre to get a bad grade because of her mishap.

Students went up in groups of two and sang songs. Some of them original, some of them covers. Andre turned to her in between groups and handed her a piece of paper with lyrics on it. It was a popular song from the 90s that they had sung together before, and Andre was just making sure she remembered the words. At the top was a little scribble with some numbers, 1. Lead and 2. Harmonies with a question mark at the end. Tori waited for Andre to turn around again and pointed a thumb at herself, followed by a peace sign. She wasn't as prepared as Andre was, so letting him take the lead was the smart play. He nodded his head and smiled, quietly reassuring her they would do fine.

Two more couples and then Tori and Andre were in front of the class. The teacher was busy writing notes in her notebook, so they waited for a cue. She put down the notebook and cradled the pen behind her ear, looking up and nodding at Andre to start when ready. The kids in the audience looked alert, Andre's performances usually got a lot of praise.

_Although we've come  
To the end of the road  
Still I can't let go  
It's unnatural  
You belong to me  
I belong to you _

Tori couldn't stop thinking about Jade for the entire duration of the song. Singing about carrying burdens reminded her of Jade's struggle to be who she was in a household that didn't support her. Even with the nagging stress, Tori played her part, smiling as she harmonized with Andre, swaying her hips to the music that played through the boombox. Andre smiled and nudged a shoulder into her arm as they stepped around each other, and she reciprocated with a hip bump on the downbeat.

The song came to an end, and though the class loved the performance, cheering loudly as the two found their seats again, Tori felt on the verge of tears, her stomach wrought with confusion and stress. She had just seen Jade a mere 12 hours ago, and it hadn't even been a week since they really became friends. Yet, she felt like the time away from her was thick and heavy, almost like a pressing weight on her chest. The kiss they shared said way more than high school romance, and Tori knew Jade felt the same thing.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on forever. Lunch was pretty uneventful. It had gotten to that point of the year where it was too cold to eat outside, so the group usually sat around in Sikowitz' classroom while they ate, sometimes playing with stage props or looking for Sikowitz' hidden stash of coconuts. Today was the same as usual, Cat acting out a scene of Jade being mean to Robbie with a big foam finger on her hand. Beck and Andre laughed when Robbie told Cat to stop, saying that her impression was all too real and it was freaking him out.

"Have any of you guys heard from Jade?" The antics died down a bit and Cat sat back down.

"Nah, I haven't." Beck wiped his mouth with a napkin and grabbed a bottle of water from the floor next to his seat. "I wouldn't worry about it, though. She's a tired soul, I think sometimes she needs to just get away, you know."

"I kinda figured as much." Tori had finished her salad and was staring down into the empty container. "We've been helping each other out lately with some stuff, and I tried getting a hold of her last night and she didn't answer me. Not texts, calls, anything."

"Not even a text? That's different." Beck shrugged his shoulders and took a drink of his water.

The bell rang and students started bustling in the hallways, drowning out Tori's ability to ask Beck any more questions. The second half of the day was always easier, but Tori realized quickly that part of the reason was because she had two basically throwaway classes with Jade, where they could sit around talk. Jade not being there on the other hand, made these classes very difficult.

Study Hall was cut short for Cat and Robbie, who had to report to the stage to help get started setting up for the premiere. Tori decided she would go with them to help, something to get her mind off of the current situation. With permission from Sikowitz Tori was excused as well, glad to walk around and get some blood flowing. They headed for the stage and dropped their bags in the back room, splitting up in different directions based on what they were going to do. Cat stayed behind the curtain where the wardrobe racks sat, sliding costumes from side to side. Robbie went out to the front of the stage to meet with Sikowitz and the lead of the show, and Tori found Sinjin. She was going to help run cables and test the sound system and lighting.

Sinjin called down to Tori from the A/V box, telling her to test her mic. She sang a piece from The Little Mermaid, and everyone in the theater stopped what they were doing to watch. She closed her eyes as she rose and fell through high notes, one hand flat on her diaphragm, the other holding the mic. After the first verse and one shot at the chorus, she opened her eyes to look up at Sinjin, and found everyone looking at her.

"Oh, sorry." Tori blushed and put the microphone back in its holder.

"Don't ever apologize for that voice Tori," Sikowitz pressed immediately, "that was fantastic."

"Okay. Thanks." Tori shuffled off to the side of the stage embarrassed, but found Andre waiting for her with open arms.

"Come on, bring it in."

Tori smiled and walked into his arms. "Hey Andre."

"You got some talent, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

Tori smiled and stepped back, facing towards the A/V box, holding up a thumb and turning it from right side up to upside down. Sinjin gave a thumbs up, indicating the mic levels were good, then said something that Tori couldn't hear. A couple feet away Sikowitz replied with "Why yes dear boy!" and Cat replied with "Kaykay," telling Tori Sinjin was checking the headset levels. When everything seemed to be in order, everyone was dismissed to go home and have dinner with their families, and to check back in at six pm.

Jade was woken up the next morning by a city employee that was tasked with cleaning up the boardwalk. He poked her side a couple times with his broom handle, until finally she grabbed the broom from him and threw it. The man shook his head and walked over to pick up the broom, then stepped back over to Jade's slumped over body.

"Hey miss, you gotta go."

"Leave me alone."

"You're too young to be a drunk. Get up."

"You don't know a god damn thing about me old man, mind your business."

"You're probably right about that, but that doesn't change the fact that you gotta go. I can't let you just sit here all day in your condition. There's a coffee stand across the way, I suggest you go get some."

"Fine. I'll go, just go on with your day and give me a minute."

The custodian sighed gently and walked away, sweeping up cigarette butts and other miscellaneous trash. It took Jade a few minutes to compose herself, and by the way she was seeing double and the way dark spots blotted her vision, she was going to have a hell of a hangover to deal with. It was about twelve thirty when the man first woke her, so Jade knew there was no point in trying to go to school. She looked around for a minute until she spotted the Java Jam cart across the street.

The air was chilly even though the sun shone brightly overhead. Stepping out from behind the protection of the building meant getting blasted by wind, making her shiver from head to toe. There was an upside though, as the cool air soothed her headache and took away a little of the leftover buzz. Jade walked lazily over to her car and dropped the bottle into the trunk, then turned to the head towards the cart. Luckily, she found a good-natured young woman standing by the window with a nametag that said 'Amber.'

"Hey there. You look a little rough around the edges this morning."

"Indeed."

"What can I get for you?"

"Extra large black silk, two shots of espresso, cream and sugar."

"I'll have to make a new pot of the black silk, that okay?"

"Sure thing."

"Alrighty, comin' up."

Jade deviated from her usual hazelnut routine, hoping the bitterness of the strong coffee would take the taste of alcohol out of her mouth. She watched as the woman dumped out the previous coffee filter and replace it with a new one, scooping coffee grounds into it. She leveled them off at the bottom and slid the basket into place, moving to the sink to fill the pot with water. Once it was full she flipped the top of the machine up and poured the water in, snapping it closed to start the brewing process.

"You look like you should probably be in school. What are you doing out here?"

"You look like a stranger that should probably worry about making my coffee instead of asking me personal questions."

The woman raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips, resolving to cut out the small talk. Jade suddenly felt guilty about snapping at her, she looked innocent enough. Tori had been getting to her. She couldn't even pass off a simple remark anymore without worrying about someone's feelings.

"I should be, yeah. But I'm not. So..."

"What happened?"

"Well, my recent breakup with my boyfriend helped me realize that I'm bisexual, since I had the most passionate kiss of my life with another woman that I used to hate. Following that, I found my freshly ex lover kissing another girl as well, which drudged up some feelings of parental abandonment, and caused me to drink myself into a stupor over there by that building last night."

The woman looked at Jade like she had never seen anything like her. She finally realized she'd been staring and snapped back to reality. She poured the coffee, dropped in the two shots of espresso and spooned in some sugar, then opened up two cream cups and poured them in last. She turned back to the window, stirring the coffee and she walked, then set the cup down and put a lid on it.

"How much is it?"

"No charge."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I know what its like to have issues that feel like they're going to crush you. This one's on me."

"Thanks lady."

"You're welcome. I hope everything works out for you."

"Me too. _Me too._"

Jade downed the coffee as fast as the hot liquid would let her as she sat in the front seat of her car. Her PearPod was plugged in, playing her favorite record at a low volume. Soothing music, fluids/caffeine to defeat the hangover and some sunshine were the only thing on Jade's mind, at least for a while. Once the coffee was gone and she got out of the haziness a bit, she found herself looking at the end of the pier, and she was once again thinking about Tori.

She pulled out her phone, noticing right away that she had three text messages and four missed calls. Two texts and a call from Tori, three calls and a text from her parents. Great. She read Tori's messages first, sinking down in her seat in guilt. The poor girl had been worried sick about what was happening with them, and Jade couldn't even manage to send one word to let her know everything was fine. The text from her mom was angry, calling her ungrateful and saying she needed to get home STAT. Jade took a deep breath, knowing that heading back home was gonna bring a world of suck.

Traffic was a little harsh heading north at one o'clock, lots of people still running around for lunch. It took her around thirty minutes to get home, and when she did, she was relieved to see no one was there. She hit the kitchen and got a bottle of water from the fridge then went straight down to her room. The water was cold and it hurt a little going down, but her body was begging for it, and she felt a hundred percent better afterward. She kicked her shoes off and laid on her bed, falling asleep again in minutes.

A few hours later, Jade was rudely awakened by her mom kicking her bed, screaming for her to get up. Jade rolled over slowly, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Her body was so sore she could barely move. The dehydration from drinking and sleeping sitting up on the ground the night before had done her in good. She sat up slowly, looking finally at her mom, who could probably have shot daggers from her eyes if she tried hard enough.

"Where were you last night, and why didn't you show up in school today?"

"I was out, and I didn't want to."

"That's bullshit Jade. You have it so easy, and yet you take it for granted every day. You walk in and out of this house whenever you want. Take any kind of food you want . Bring people in and out whenever you feel like it."

"I'm a teenager, isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

"Don't get smart with me damnit. Your father and I work our asses off to keep you in this house and in the school of your choice. WE buy your food, WE buy your clothes. WE give you spending money, and you don't even do anything to earn it."

"Dad gives me money so he doesn't feel guilty for hating me. What's your reason?"

"Jadelyn West, I swear to god if you don't knock this shit off I will stop paying for Hollywood Arts and send you to North Ridge."

Jade stopped in her tracks. Her mom knew Hollywood Arts was her Achilles' heel. HA was really the only thing in her life that gave her a reason to keep going. She wanted to achieve her dream of being a screenplay writer so bad, and she knew she wouldn't get the same opportunity at North Ridge. She sucked up her pride and stashed it away, looking her mom in the eyes.

"Fine. I was having a moment. I stayed out by myself last night, slept in my car because I was too tired to drive. I woke up late and didn't feel like going to school with only a couple hours left."

"Why do I smell alcohol?"

"I don't know, maybe my breath mints or something."

"I have a colleague coming over for dinner in an hour. Take a shower, put on something nice and get yourself together. I expect you to be upstairs on time, and I expect you to be a lady."

"Yes ma'am" Jade saluted her mom, getting out of bed to find something nice to wear in her wardrobe.

Her mom stalked off, shaking her head vigorously. Jade smirked a bit, waiting til her mom was gone, then laid back on her bed. She closed her eyes for just a minute, and when she opened them, an hour and ten minutes had gone by. Jade knew she was screwed, so she got up and went to get it over with. She did smell like alcohol, so a quick squirt of perfume on her neck wasn't a bad idea.

The sound of voices filled the hallway as Jade walked towards the dining room. Her mom and dad were sitting at the table with another unknown man, talking what she assumed was business. The Bourbon snifter was open and they each had drinks in their hands, meaning this dinner was going to be interesting.

Jade walked in and sat down next to her mom. The new man at the end of the table sat his drink down and looked in Jade's direction, waiting casually for Jade's dad to finish his sentence, then held up a hand to silence him.

"And who is this?"

"My name is Jade."

"Jade! What a lovely name for a lovely young woman."

"Yeah don't do that, it's creepy."

Jade's mom stiffened in her chair, but the man's smile didn't falter a bit.

"I have a daughter your age, her name is Amber."

"That's incredible." Jade couldn't even manage a little enthusiasm, a revelation that actually made her smile.

"She's a tough cookie, Frank." The man nodded towards Jade's dad with his drink in his hand.

"Yeah, she's a firecracker." Jade's dad looked at her with disappointment.

"So, why are you here, Mr...?"

"Noe."

"Excuse me?"

"It's Mr. Noe, with an e on the end."

"Ah. So Mr. Noe, why are you here?"

"Daniel is an Accounting partner of mine. He's here to discuss funds for the upcoming elections."

"Ah yes. We're going to sort out where the foundation money goes this year."

"So you're lining people's pockets?"

"Jadelyn." Jade's mother's voice went up an octave, making Jade a little giddy.

"Well, we just like to toss a couple dollars the way of people who have our best interests at heart."

"...So you're lining people's pockets?"

Jade's dad sipped generously on his drink and poured another, but Mr. Noe just looked at Jade with a smile.

"So. Delaney. Where are we at with her?" Jade's mom tried to move the conversation along.

"You mean the woman that wants to make homosexuality illegal? The hell is wrong with her anyway?"

"No Jade, the woman that wants to incorporate some leniency on the company I work for."

"So you're just willing to let someone with an evil, human-hating agenda into a position of power because she's going to cut you guys tax breaks?"

"Well Jade" Mr. Noe started, sipping his drink, "as the good Lord well knows, not all freedoms are right by God."

"You're fucking with me right?" Jade looked around the table, pointing with her fork. "You guys are a riot."

"Jade, that's not polite." Jade's dad looked embarrassed, and rather eager to drown himself in Bourbon.

"Well the fact that you bring some bigot asshole to our table when I'm dating a girl isn't really polite to me, dad."

Jade's mom looked like she was going to choke, and Mr. Noe pursed his lips.

"Well, we weren't aware."

"Yeah. Tori and I, we have a good thing going. Started yesterday. Damn can she kiss, and those curves..."

"Get out." Jade's mom was staring straight ahead at the wall, shaking visibly with anger.

"Relax mom I'm just teasing the guy. We're seeing each other, what's the big deal? Do you guys hate gay people now too?"

"Get out of my dining room, Jadelyn."

"Now Maddy, she's fine-"

"Oh no Mr. Noe, it's alright. I'm used to it." Jade got up from the table and crossed the room towards the door. "Good luck bribing people to spread your hate-mongering agenda."

"Nice to meet you too, Jade."

Jade stormed out to her car and got in, intent on leaving the house immediately. The premiere was coming up shortly, so she resolved to heading to Hollywood Arts and waiting in the parking lot until the doors opened. She parked on the side of the parking lot next to the wall, away from the doors so no one would see her. Still seething from her parents close-mindedness and willingness to work with scumbags like Mr. Noe, Jade's headache came back in force. The alcohol still hadn't fully run its course, and the bit of hangover left was hanging on for dear life. _Hair of the dog it is_. Jade popped the trunk and grabbed the bottle again, sipping hungrily through the plastic barrier, desperate to get rid of the headache and sore joints.

The clock read five fifty. Jade still had a quarter of a bottle left and was feeling pretty good, her PearPod playing some Outline in Color. Some cars started pulling in, and Jade realized it was the crew for the premiere. She saw Robbie and Cat walking up to the door together, thinking they looked cute side by side, but that would never happen. Robbie was a little too weird for Cat, which was definitely saying something.

A few songs and a few good swigs off the bottle and it was nearing the bottom. Maybe four or five shots left at most, and the curtain was fast approaching. Jade got bored just sitting in the car, so she poured what was left in the bottle into an old coffee cup that was in her back seat and walked up to the school. The doors were unlocked so she walked inside, not really sure where she was going.

Sikowitz' classroom was first. Jade always felt comfortable in there, like it was a home away from home. She had met all her friends in that class, even Tori a couple years later. The room held a lot of personal memories. Realizing she liked Beck for the first time. Acting with Cat for the first time. Ripping off one of Rex's limbs for the first time. Jade's nostalgia was powered by the drink, and at that moment, she didn't mind.

She left Sikowitz' room and wandered the halls a bit, popping into classrooms she'd never been in, and hanging around ones she'd spent time in before. She passed the janitor's closet, her place of solitude in the world, and peered in through the window. She had a key to the room on her keychain, courtesy of Walt. As long as she didn't get caught, or at least said she stole his key and made a copy of it, he was okay with her being there.

As Jade turned around, she saw Tori's locker. 'Make it Shine' in big letters on the front with christmas lights all over it. The outside of the locker even smelled like the vanilla perfume Tori wore. Jade pressed her face up against it, breathing in the intoxicating aroma. The cool metal of the locker felt good on her face, the alcohol was heating her up pretty well. As she stood there, Jade heard applause in the distance. She checked her phone. It was seven ten, which meant the premiere had started.

Jade threw her cup in the trash and walked towards the auditorium, and towards Tori.

Tori had a quick dinner with her mom and Trina, then cleaned up in a hurry so they could get ready for the premiere. They ate light so the cleanup was easy, then headed for the car. It was six thirty, but it took about ten minutes to get there. Then they had to find a spot to park, get tickets, find seats. The drive was thankfully quick, so by the time they had completed their to-do list and ended up in their seats, it was five minutes until curtain.

Tori saw Andre and Beck in the row in front of them, waving down with a smile. The lights dimmed and a short, scrawny looking kid that had to have been a freshman walked up to the microphone to introduce the premiere. After a small introduction and a shout-out to Sikowitz, who waved from the front row while sipping on a coconut, the spotlight faded and the curtain opened, displaying a Port Town with a row boat attached to the dock, and a ship in the background.

Part way into the first act, Robbie was trying to court a local bartender girl. He was working up to giving her an old family heirloom when Jade of all people plopped down in the seat next to Tori. Tori looked to see who sat down next to her and almost squealed when she saw Jade's face, covering her mouth with both hands.

"Where have you been?" Tori whispered, waiting with bated breath to hear what had taken Jade away.

"Enjoying some alone time" Jade answered way too loudly, garnering looks from the audience around them."It's nice, you should try it sometime."

"Jade quiet down" Tori whispered close to Jade's ear, aware of the many pairs of eyes glued to them at that moment.

"Why? I'm not doing anything wrong."

"Jesus Jade how much have you had to drink?" Tori could smell the alcohol radiating off of Jade's breath and skin.

"Just a nip, love. It's okay. You look really cute today."

Jade bit her lip and smiled at Tori. Tori's eyes flew wide open as she turned side to side. Her mom, sister, Beck, Andre and everyone within earshot of them was staring. Tori grabbed Jade's hand held it tight, trying to calm her down a little. Jade read a little further into it than she should have, leaning over and planting a kiss directly on Tori's lips in front of everyone.

Tori froze in place, and everyone around her started murmuring immediately. Andre and Beck looked back and forth between each other and Tori and Jade. Jade had a smile for miles and her eyes were glossy and bright. When Tori's expression didn't change, Jade's smile faltered a bit, turning downright sour within seconds.

"What's the matter Tor? Not as good as it was yesterday?" Jade took her hand back and sat back hard against the seat, air huffing out of her lungs.

The whispering got even louder, and Beck's jaw was pretty much stuck open. Tori felt hurt and confused, wondering why Jade was doing this in front of everyone. Sure, she knew she liked Jade and wanted to explore the possibility of them together, but she wanted to talk about it first. Jade was belligerent, and the crowd around them was starting to get upset.

"Come on Jade, let's go somewhere and talk."

"No, I want to watch the show."

"Jade, please? We need to talk. Now." Tori grabbed Jade's hand again to stand her up, but she didn't budge.

"We'll help" Beck added, hopping up over his seat with Andre following close behind.

The two boys each grabbed an arm and picked Jade up, side-stepping through the row of seats to get to the aisle. Jade tried to push them off, but in her drunken state her arms were no good. Tori looked at her mom, who nodded her head in approval, then set off after the boys. They had taken Jade to Sikowitz' class and sat her down in her normal spot.

"What the hell, Jade?" Beck asked, sitting down next to her.

"What do you care, Beck? Go kiss your new girlfriend some more."

"Is that what this is about? How did you even know about that?"

Tori walked into the room quietly just as Beck finished the last line.

"I came over to bury the hatchet. I had just left Tori after having an amazing night, and I thought I was ready to for some closure with you. After two years Beck, I figured we should be friends."

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

"When I saw you with that airheaded slut, it irked me."

"Why? Didn't you say you'd just had a good night with Tori?"

"Yeah, I did. So what? We're new friends, but fires are still hot for a while after the flames are gone."

Tori felt a tightness in her chest that got worse by the second. She listened as Jade drunkenly ranted on about her relationship with Beck and how she still felt close to him even though they weren't together. It hurt, admittedly, even though she and Jade weren't even a thing.

"Well Jade, we can be friends if you want. I'm not mad at you or anything over the breakup. Things happen, it must have been our time."

"I don't know, I think I have some abandonment issues or something because my dad's a dick. You were there for me when he wasn't, and then when we broke up there was nothing. My dad was still absent for all intents and purposes, and you weren't there either. Then to see you with someone else like you had moved on made me jealous. I needed someone there."

"So you rebounded on me."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Tori felt crushed, like Jade didn't even really like Tori like Tori did her. She felt like the time they'd spent together was meaningless, like Jade didn't even care about Tori's issues. Like she had just used the fact that they were similar to get her own satisfaction out of the deal. Tori felt sick to her stomach, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Tori..."

"No it's okay Jade. I must have read too far into what happened, which I know I do sometimes. I knew you were upset about Beck and your dad and stuff, I shouldn't have let it go that far."

"Why do you have to be so nice all the time? Are you not capable of getting pissed?"

"Of course I am, Jade. I'm pissed right now. I feel like I want to scream and cry and swear and punch the wall all at the same time right now, but I'm not going to. I know you're having a tough time so-"

"Jesus Christ will you guys give it a rest? We all have issues, not just me. Look at your daddy issues, your family is just as fucked up as mine is, why don't you go out and get drunk and do something stupid? It's gotta be better than pretending all the time, even if you are a fantastic actress."

The words hit like a sledgehammer directly into Tori's chest. She was too choked up to speak, and as soon as she let her breath out, tears started falling in earnest. Tori sobbed openly, rooted to the spot, staring Jade plain in the face. Her body shook hard and her chest heaved with deep breaths, and when she couldn't take it anymore she turned and jogged out of the classroom. Andre nodded to Beck and took off after her. Jade tipped her head back and sighed, sitting back down in her chair.

"Jesus Jade, what the hell was that?"

"I don't know Beck, just leave it alone."

"No. It's obvious that something was going on with the two of you, and it's obvious that something really meant a lot to Tori. As much as you've tortured that girl, I'm surprised she cares about you at all, much less romantically."

"I'm surprised anyone cares about me at all." Jade stared at the white board in the front of the room, a blank expression on her face.

"Come on Jade, we've talked about this before. You know you have people that care about you. Your parents are idiots. They don't see the raw talent you possess. They just think you're shooting for the stars to get rich and not have to work for a living."

Jade couldn't speak. She mulled over the events of the last ten minutes, and each separate memory sobered her up a little more. By the time she replayed what she had just done to Tori, she was stone cold sober, and it was almost enough to bring her whole world down. Tori was the only person she really had close, the only person she could share personal things with, and she had just crushed her. The beautiful, sensitive, overly caring woman that would drop anything to help Jade if she needed it, broken to pieces because Jade was too selfish.

She looked up at Beck with fear in her eyes, something Beck had never seen before. He was caught a little off guard by it, but he took it to mean that she really did care about Tori, and that when she fully came down she was going to be devastated at the way she treated her. Jade's eyes teared up and spilled silently, and Beck opened his arms to her. She fell in to the comfortable, familiar spot and tried to let it all go.

**A/N: This was hard to write. I stopped probably 6 or 7 times in the last few pages, trying to make very sure it was going the way it should. I almost changed my mind a couple times to try to make it lighter, but every time I went to change it it didn't sound right. It came out this way for a reason, so I hope you guys are okay with it. There's definitely going to be some Jori recuperation in the future though, so don't worry.**

**As some of you know Saturday was my birthday. I wanted to get it out then but the second half proved difficult, so Sunday morning it is. I wanted to share my birthday joy with everyone by giving you another chapter, and a long one at that. (4 pages longer than usual.) I don't want to be the kind of person that asks for reviews, but you guys have been kind of quiet lately, so I just want to make sure some of you are still enjoying the ride. A couple words is fine, just "hey its good" or "please stop oh god" will give me an idea of where everyone is. Lots of references in this one too. Jade's dad being Frank makes him Frank West (main character from the zombie-slasher Dead Rising.) Amber the coffee girl was a shout out to amberpire, and Maddy West was a shout out to a Tumblr friend of mine lapseinjudgment. Thanks for reading!**


	8. The Want and the Waiting

Tori rounded the corner outside of Sikowitz' classroom and headed towards the front door. The sounds from the auditorium could still be heard, reminding Tori that the world had in fact not ended. She sat down on the stairs by the entrance and tucked her head between her knees, trying to repress the panicky feeling in her chest. Footsteps echoed from the floors up to her ears, alerting her of someone's presence.

"Hey Tor, you alright?"

Tori sniffled and wiped her eyes, swallowing back the sobs that rocked her upper body. "Yeah Andre, I'm just fine."

Andre smiled and sat down next to her, leaning against her right side. "None of us really know what even happened. Were you and Jade...?"

"We...I don't really know what we were to be honest. We started hanging out after we realized we had some things in common, and it snowballed from there."

"I see. Sometimes when you bond with someone on some personal levels like that, lines can get blurred. Things can get messy."

"Jade and I were doing so well. She had gotten to the point where she could be in the same room as me and not want to die, and I had actually gotten to like having her around. She changed towards me and we actually talked, it wasn't just harsh one liners and looks that could kill."

"Same thing happened with me and Jade last year. It took her a long time to get used to the rest of us. She took to Beck real easy, but she treated me and Robbie the same way she treated you."

"What about Cat?"

"Well, Cat and Jade have a special relationship. Jade said something about Cat being like the little sister she never had. She gets annoyed with her, but she can't be mad, you know."

"Yeah. I just wish this didn't have to happen. Things were starting to finally get easy, and I had to go and put too much into it."

"Don't blame this on yourself, this is on Jade."

"I guess. I just got too involved too fast. I should probably get a handle on that."

"Nah, it's everyone else that needs to get on your level. Not many people really put themselves out there anymore, really give their all to a relationship. I think it's cool that you give people a chance to be friends with all of you, not just what you want people to see."

Tori genuinely felt better, sitting up straight and wiping her eyes. Andre was her best friend, and he really did know what to say to pick her up. Andre gave her an encouraging smile and bumped her knee gently with his fist, then cleared his throat.

_Ain't no sunshine when she's gone  
It's not warm when she's away  
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone  
She always gone too long anytime she goes away_

Andre carried the notes out with the smile still strong, and Tori couldn't help but laugh. She took a deep breath and stood up, holding her arms out to the caring boy that was missing the premiere to be there for her and make sure she was okay. Andre stood up and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her tight. Tori stood still for a minute, the hug giving her the illusion of being held together.

Moments later Beck appeared from behind them, walking slowly with his hands in his pockets. He scrunched up his face in a 'I don't really know what to tell you' fashion and shrugged his shoulders. Tori walked over to him and put her arms out once more, feeling the need of the group dynamic at the moment. She hugged Beck just as she had hugged Andre, then stepped back and waited for someone to speak.

"Well, are we gonna go catch the last couple acts?" Beck pointed a thumb behind him towards the auditorium.

"I think I'm gonna walk home. I need some time to get myself right, and some fresh air would do me good."

"You sure? Everyone's going to Nozu afterward. I can give you a ride home later."

"Thanks Andre, you've done enough already. I'll be fine, you guys go back to the premiere." Tori walked to her locker and opened, it, grabbing a dollar for the drink machine. She purchased a bottle of water and then headed back towards the door. "Hey Beck, where's Jade?"

"She's in her car sleeping. I told her I would drive her home after the premiere."

"Alright. Thanks for looking out for her. And hey can you tell my mom for me? That I'm headed home?"

"No problem."

Tori smiled, then headed up the stairs and out the front door. Beck and Andre exchanged a look of amazement, then smiled and headed back to the auditorium.

The parking lot was packed with cars, Tori's mom's car being out towards the road. She headed in the direction of her house, intent on taking it easy to give herself some time to breathe. As soon as she stepped out into the roadway, however, she made eye contact with Jade, sitting on the hood of her own car. Tori just looked away and kept walking, hearing the clap of feet hitting the ground behind her.

"Hey Tori, can I-"

"No Jade, I'm not in the mood."

"Tori I'm sorry." Jade's apology almost came out as a yell, sounding desperate and manic.

"You should be sorry." Tori had stopped walking, but was still angled in the direction of home, not making eye contact with Jade as she spoke.

"I am, I swear. I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"So you really do feel that way, you just wish you could say it differently, is that it? Like emphasizing different words is going to change how it made me feel?"

"No. It's not that. It's...You have it so much more together than I do. I don't understand how you do it. It's like I have to struggle so much more than you to not fall apart, and I can't get anywhere close. I guess it makes me jealous."

"So because you're self conscious you think you can lash out at me in front of our friends and I'll just forgive you because you think you have a harder time keeping it together than I do? Give me a break Jade."

"Tori, I really liked what we had going."

"Yeah Jade, so did I. But apparently I liked it a little more than you did, which is why this is tearing me up so bad." Tori teared up again and clear lines of pain streaked her cheeks.

"What makes you think that?"

"I don't know Jade. I would think if you cared about our friendship as much as I did you wouldn't have done what you did tonight. It's my fault for trying so hard to get close to you. I should have let it develop naturally."

"Did? You mean you don't want to be friends with me anymore?"

"What I want and what's going to happen aren't always the same thing."

"Being with you is as easy as breathing. It's everything else in my life that's hard."

Tori was taken aback by Jade's comment, and she stuttered for words for a minute. Once she recomposed herself, she continued. "Well, I'm sorry you're finding it so difficult to find a balance. Our friendship was supposed to be based on trust and a mutual understanding. Lately it's been pretty one-sided, and I can't take it. I like you Jade, and your ping-pong style of being nice to me one night and ignoring me the next day is killing me. I can't subject myself to that anymore. I won't."

"You...like me? What does that mean?" Jade's heart hammered against her ribs, trying with a herculean attempt to tear through her front. She shook visibly and bit her nails, eyes not wavering from the beautiful woman in front of her.

"I don't know anymore. I used to think I had an idea of what could have been, but I was way wrong."

Tori turned back the way she was heading and started walking again, hands in her pockets and tears on her cheeks. Jade stayed rooted to the spot, feeling like screaming and crying and whatever else all together. With all the pent up aggression she had towards her dad, the stress her mom put on her by the constant reminder of how expensive her schooling was. The devastating blow of losing Tori. All of it was coming down, but it was so much that she didn't even burst, she just...stopped.

Tori pulled her PearPod out and put some earbuds in, making the walk a little easier to bear. The fast drums kept pace with her heartbeat, the frigid night air burning her cheeks.

_So if you're gonna' stay, then how long would you wait for me before your love begins to fade?  
I just can't spend all of my days in this place wasting away. _

The words injected renewed vigor in her decision to tell Jade how she really felt. She wanted to be friends with Jade, but the back and forth was too much for her to handle. The feeling of being so elated and happy was always crushed by the feeling of being ignored and kept like a secret. Tori felt like her heart couldn't handle much more up and down action, so something had to give.

It took her about forty five minutes to get home using shortcuts. Having finished her water and discarded the bottle within the first twenty minutes, she was parched. The brisk air bit at her throat and made it burn, drying it out and making it hard to swallow. She walked through the front door and went straight for the kitchen to get something to drink.

When Tori turned the lights on, she noticed an envelope on the table with a jewelry box next to it. The envelope wasn't sealed, so she grabbed it and pulled the paper out, reading the small note in one go.

_Holly,_

_I know we have some things to work on, and I'm willing to start whenever you're ready. I hope you come around and remember how good we used to be. Until then, here's my wedding band. I'll get it back from you when I've earned it._

_-David_

Tori blinked and tears fell again, something she didn't want to get used to, but felt like she was going to have to. She put the note back in the envelope and noticed that his house key was also at the bottom. Knowing that her dad wasn't coming back, Tori grabbed a desperately needed drink of water and dragged herself up to her bedroom. Emotionally and physically exhausted, she laid on her bed fully clothed and fell asleep.

Jade went back and sat on the hood of the car, shivering as the wind picked up. She stared at the ground, waiting patiently for Beck to come drive her home, even though she was sober as a judge and could drive herself. At least, that's what she thought after the sobering discussion with Tori. Risking a DUI would be stupid, especially if she got caught. Another reason for Tori to run away from her and never come back.

The never ending back and forth in Jade's head was making her headache even worse, so she got in the backseat of her car and laid down. Minutes later it seemed, she was being picked up in Beck's arms and carried to her house. She opened her eyes and saw the streetlights on, turning to see the side of her house as Beck headed for the front door. There were no other cars in the driveway, which caused her to breathe deeply, glad there wouldn't be a confrontation with her parents.

Beck unlocked the door and shut it gently behind him, continuing through the kitchen and down to Jade's room, laying her softly onto her bed. He pulled her boots off and set them next to the dresser, then grabbed Jade's upper body and slid her to the top of the bed, laying her head on the pillow. Jade just watched Beck as he operated, not saying anything. His features were soft, no air of annoyance at having to take care of her.

Beck slid the covers down and pulled them back up over Jade's body, tucking her in and rubbing her arms to generate some warmth and stop her shivering. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her, running his fingers through her hair gently, staring into the pools of blue that looked at him with such confusion and pain. Jade closed her eyes and snuggled into her pillow, and the tears finally came.

Her body shuddered violently, though little sound came out. Beck laid a hand on her hip over the blankets and squeezed, trying to reassure her that everything would work itself out. After a few minutes she sniffled and took a deep breath that wheezed a little, making her cough.

"I'll go get you some water." Beck stood up from the bed and let his fingers drag down Jade's leg as his arm fell back to his side.

"You don't have to take care of me."

"I know I don't _have _to, but I'm going to, because you're my best friend."

Beck left the room to head to the kitchen, and Jade digested what he had just said. After all they'd been through, even with the messy jealousy on her part, he did know her better than anyone else. He was here in her time of need, and she didn't really know how much she underappreciated him until that moment. Beck walked back into the room with the bottle of water and some Aleve.

"Here, take this and get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning."

"Yeah, somehow I doubt that."

"She'll come around Jade. We all took a little getting used to your...charm, but look at our group now."

Jade made a face, feeling just as bad emotionally as she did physically. "It sucks to know that everyone feels like they have to walk on eggshells around you because you have a volatile temper."

"Well you can take comfort in the fact that we all take the risk because we care about you."

"I'm sorry things got so bad between us Beck. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Shh, it's alright. None of that matters now, just lay back and sleep it off. We have the rest of our lives to talk about that if we need to."

Jade sunk back down into her comfortable spot, which was still a little damp from tears. Her arm was on top of the covers, and Beck took her hand in his. The feel of his strong, warm hands holding hers made Jade well up all over again, and before she knew it tears were falling back into the familiar crevice of her pillow.

"Will you stay with me? Just for a little bit?" Jade felt horrible for keeping him from his friends, but selfish as she could be, she needed someone, and Beck made her feel safe.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here right now, until you don't need more anymore." He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, and tears continued to spill until she fell asleep.

Tori woke up early the next morning with a pounding headache. She had cried so much the night before that her voice was hoarse and her vision was blurry. Determined to not let Jade get to her anymore than she already had, Tori got up and headed for the shower. She undressed slowly, yawning in between removing each piece of clothing. The sleep she got wasn't very good, and it was definitely going to be a long day.

The hot water pulsing from the shower head did a lot of good. The jets massaged her neck, easing the headache and making it easier to stand up straight. Tori soaked up the steam, breathing deeply to try to cleanse herself of all the negativity that had come out of the last day or so. She was going to go to school and get on with life, as dwelling on things never got anyone anywhere.

Once she got out of the shower she flipped on the TV in her room, turning it to the local news to see what the weather was going to be like. Sunny but breezy meant jeans and a long sleeved shirt, with high heeled boots and a dark jean jacket. She dressed one limb at a time, her blinks getting longer and longer until her eyes stayed closed.

There was still an hour until she had to be to school, so Tori went downstairs to make herself a decent breakfast. Bacon, eggs and orange juice sounded good, so she grabbed each ingredient and laid it on the counter behind her. The dishwasher hadn't been run so all of the plates were dirty, making Tori have to do a few dishes before she started cooking. Her mom had been working extra hours and Trina never did anything for anyone but herself, and Tori had let her responsibilities go as well, meaning the house had kind of fallen into disarray.

Tori turned the living room TV on so she could get the rest of the news while she finished up. Once the first batch of bacon was done, Tori heard her mom coming down the stairs, so she washed another plate in between flipping. The plates were sitting on the other side of the counter, and Tori's mom walked over to bring them to the kitchen table. She set the plates down and doubled back, getting glasses out of the cupboard for juice.

"Hey boo, thanks for making breakfast."

"Yeah, no problem."

"I came up to check on you last night when we got home from the play, but you were sleeping."

"Yeah, I had a rough night."

"I can see that, you look a little tired."

"Great, I hope I don't look as bad as I feel."

"Why don't you stay home today? I don't have to work, we can bunker down and watch some movies. Eat ice cream, make fun of boys."

Tori smiled at the word 'boys' as she forked the rest of the bacon onto the paper towel next to the stove, shutting off the burner and sliding the pan to the burner in the back. "Sounds great mom, but I think I need to go to school. If I'm gonna get over it and go back to normal I have to face it, not hide."  
Tori's mom smiled with pride. "I'm proud of you baby girl."

"Thanks mom."

Tori finished up with the eggs and the two ate mostly in silence, listening to the stories from around their neighborhood. When Tori finished, she cleaned up the kitchen and started the dishwasher, then headed back upstairs to grab her stuff. She sprayed on perfume and grabbed her phone and keys, turning to check her hair in the mirror before heading out. She ran her fingers through it a couple times calling it good, then stalked off to the front door.

"Alright mom, I'm out of here."

"Have a good day sweetheart."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too."

The day started as normal as any other. The drive was fine, and she found a decent spot to park in not too far from the door. As Tori was depositing things into her locker before first hour, Andre and Beck came up from the back entrance, eating pop tarts and laughing about something that had happened the night before.

"Hey Tor."

"'Sup chica?"

"Hey guys, what's so funny?"

Beck smiled wide. "Last night at Nozu, Robbie had sushi stuffed down his pants by a girl from North Ridge."

"What for?"

"Rex made a comment about her shirt being a little low cut and how he wished she would "move it move it." Andre laughed as he took another bite of his breakfast.

Tori shook her head with a smile on her face. "I don't know about that kid sometimes."

"Yeah, he's a little awkward sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Beck added, raising one eyebrow at Andre.

"Yeah well, you gotta give him some credit. Tor, walk with me to first hour?"

"Sure. Hey Beck, you hear from Jade?"

"I took her home last night and made sure she got in safe, but I haven't heard from her since. I don't think she's here. You want me to pass a message?"

"No, no. That's alright, I was just wondering. Thanks."

"No problem. You might get some weird stares and whispers today, people were talking about, uh, what they heard Jade say about you two."

"Great. Got it."

Beck waved and took off in the opposite direction for Film Study. Tori closed her locker, picking up her bag and turning to head for the R&B Vocals room with Andre. She looked around a little paranoid as people passed her. Some shot looks at her as she passed, others whispered behind hands. Tori didn't care about what they were saying really, but she wished she at least knew what it was.

Her classes went by slow and dull. She was sore, and still had a bit of a headache. The events of the night before kept playing over and over in her head, making it impossible to concentrate. A couple of times she was caught off guard staring out the window by a teacher, to which she responded the best she could and promised to pay better attention. Minutes later, though, she'd be doing the same thing.

Lunch time came and Tori headed out to the Grub Truck and got a chicken salad, returning indoors and headed towards Sikowitz' room. Beck had moved his chair up against the wall and stretched his legs out over a few chairs, learning back and listening to his PearPod. Robbie, Andre and Cat hadn't gotten there yet, and Jade wasn't at school, so it was just him and Tori.

"Hey Beck." Tori waved at him, thinking he wouldn't be able to hear her voice.

"Hey Tor" he said a little too loud, pausing his song and taking the earbuds out. "Where is everyone?"

"Not here yet I guess."

"Cool."

"Not eating today?"

"Not really hungry. I think Mrs. Lee gave me some bad sushi. I didn't feel good when I got up this morning, ate that poptart to try to settle my stomach and it just made it worse."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Thanks. So, uh, I know you probably don't want to talk about this, and it's cool if you don't, but uh, what's all this stuff with Jade? I mean, she's mean to you all the time, but last night seemed to be like the end all or something."

"Well, I know you heard what she said about my house being messed up like hers."

"Yeah, I didn't really want to pry." Beck put his PearPod in his pocket and leaned forward with his feet on the floor.

"Well, recently my dad left the house. Him and my mom had been arguing for a while, little things here and there that escalated over time. I'd hear them having hushed arguments in the kitchen when I was in my room, and they'd stop when I'd come down. Stuff like that. Then one night I went to go for a walk, heard my dad say...some other stuff, and then I snuck out the side door."

"I'm sorry to hear that Tori. Parents fighting is always rough to deal with, kinda hard to get away from."

Tori nodded. "Thanks. So I went for my walk, and in my hurry, forgot to stretch. Ended up getting a charlie horse and had to stop, happened to run into Jade at a coffee shop."

"I know the one, she goes there a lot."

"She offered to let me stay at her house, so I took her up on it. We ended up staying at eachother's places a few days in a row, getting to know each other and learning to be friends. I think the thing that we bonded on was so emotional and close to home that it escalated too fast, some lines got blurred, and we..."

"Kissed? It's okay Tori, you know none of us care about anything like that right?"

"Yeah I do, it's just...it felt so _real._ I mean, I felt like I went from zero to love in a matter of days."

Beck raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Do you love her?"

Tori panicked a little. "No, why would you say that?"

"You just said zero to love."

"I did? I meant, uh, like. A lot. You know, as friends."

As soon as Tori noticed her mishap, Cat and Andre came into the room, Robbie following close behind while looking up something on his PearPad. She exhaled a sigh of relief and dug into her salad before Beck could ask for any clarification. Cat sat next to her with a styrofoam bowl with watermelon in it, and Andre sat next to Beck with a piece of pizza. Robbie was standing next to the door, still tapping away at his screen.

"Dude, get that pizza out of my face, it's gonna make me chunk."

"Still not over that sushi yet?" Andre chuckled, moving to sit next to Cat.

"No, I think it's gonna make an appearance soon though."

Tori just shook her head in a 'boys will be boys' way and finished her lunch. The bell rang about ten minutes later, and the group gathered their things to head to class. Tori saw more stares and whispers in the hallway on her route to Screenwriting, but she charged forward with her head up, adamant in showing no fear. She reached the classroom and sat down, eyes immediately scanning Jades' empty desk.

The teacher walked in at her usual time and set her stuff down at her desk, turning to the whiteboard to write something down. Tori got out her notebook and prepared to take notes, setting her phone to silent and putting it in her bag. The teacher finished writing and put the marker down, stepping to the side so the students could read.

_Acting Challenge I: Skit Material_

"Alright class. We're going to be doing a new challenge. For this, I've split everyone up into groups of two. You and your partner will receive a skit from a classmate's screenplay, and you will be tasked with learning it and acting it out for me and that person. Every day after school I'll be working with a new group to see your skits until everyone's had a turn."

The teacher started going through the pairings while Tori wrote down the challenge parameters. She wondered what kind of skit she would get, and who she would be partnered with. As soon as the idea of a partner fully gestated in her mind, her heart leapt into her throat. It was the natural outcome in this situation that she would be paired with Jade, just to throw some salt on the wound.

"Vega, you are with West, and you'll be doing a scene from Patterson's screenplay. This Friday at 4:00, don't be late."

Tori closed her eyes slowly and squeezed them tight. She dug out her phone and grudgingly texted Jade.

_We're partners in Screenwriting. We have to act a scene from Jake Patterson's story. Friday at 4:00. -Tori_

Jade finally woke up around noon, wiping the sleep out of her eyes and yawning. Her body was so sore she could barely move. Her mouth tasted awful, and she had heartburn that felt like she was going to throw up battery acid. Her head pounded and the world still wasn't quite done spinning, so when she tried to stand up, she ended up throwing up on the floor. A few minutes later, Jade made it to the bathroom, first brushing her teeth and rinsing to get the taste out.

Once she'd dried her face, she grabbed a towel and some carpet cleaner out from under the bathroom sink to clean up the mess. It was gross, but she'd gotten pretty much everything in her stomach out, so there was no danger of throwing up again. Once it was all cleaned up she just threw the towel in the trash and headed for the shower.

The warm water helped sober her up a little, so when Jade got out and dried off, she felt better. The prospect of having to row with her mom again in the evening about why she didn't go to school didn't sound very appealing, but it was an unfortunately necessary side effect of skipping. The weather looked decent, but Jade knew better than to just judge by looks. She walked over to the window and opened it, feeling the sharp breeze instantly. Closing the window, she walked over to her dresser, picked out a dark red long sleeve shirt and some soft comfy pants of the same color, with a plain black hoodie over top.

Not really sure what to do with herself, Jade checked her phone to see if she had missed anything interesting. She saw one text message, from Tori. She did a double take and opened the message as fast as she could. When she realized she would be working closely with Tori for this project, it freaked her out. Tori was still mad, and she wanted to be prepared to go in and try to disarm her, and hopefully repair their friendship.

Jade decided to try and reflect a bit, see if there was a way she could be like Tori and fit in without having to lash out at people. She knew that a lot of her insecurity came from her parents not being very supportive, and thinking of how they never seemed to be around for her big moments weighed heavy on her chest.

Jade reached under her bed and pulled out a shoebox filled with old photos and other memories. Images from a simpler time when her family wasn't so high strung. The first photo she picked up was of her being pushed on the swings by her dad. She had a smile for miles and her dad looked happier than she'd remember seeing him since probably that very day. The picture made her smile again, reminiscent of her younger self. She wished those times hadn't gone, when her parents seemed happy with each other and weren't so disappointed in their daughter.

The next photo was all three of them, taken by a kind bystander. They were at a Freezy Queen eating ice cream, and Jade's mom had dabbed some on the end of Jade's nose with her spoon. Her dad was laughing hysterically, and Jade looked like she was trying to steal some of his ice cream. The pictures pulled at dormant heart strings, warming her insides, but it wasn't long before the warmth dissipated into regret. Her eyes felt heavy with tears, and the memories of a time long lost echoed out into the void.

She trudged through, spending hours looking through the old photos, postcards and letters from family members. Some from relatives that lived across the country, others that had passed away. Jade had been looking at a photo of her and her cousins at the Fairgrounds when they were kids, watching hot air balloons lift off. She didn't even realize it when her mother entered her room, standing by the door watching.

"Jade."

Jade jumped and dropped the photo. "Oh, hey."

"You missed school again today."

"I know."

"You know? What the hell does that mean 'you know?'"

"I...screwed up, mom. I screwed up."

"I don't understand."

"I bought a bottle of whiskey and used it to try to shut my brain up for a little while. I had a lot of shit going through my head and it was hard to concentrate. I needed to get away for a little bit."

Jade's mom looked hard into Jade's eyes, waiting for her to continue.

"Sikowitz had a new production that premiered last night."

"I'm aware, I saw the posters. What does that have to do with you drinking?"

"I didn't even bother to try out for any parts because I knew that even if I got the role, neither you or dad would show up to support me. Do you know how bad it feels to be so passionate about something and have parents that don't care at all?"

"You think we don't care about you?" Jade's mom walked into her daughter's room and took a seat in the desk chair next to the bed. "Jade, your father and I love you. We always have, and we always will. This is Hollywood. You can look out your window right now and at least 75% of the people you see are all aspiring actors. People that have been in your position right now, a teenager with a dream. But do you see them now? Half of them are barely scraping by waiting tables and walking dogs, or playing music for spare change. We don't want that life for you."

"I understand that, but you're my parents. You're supposed to support me no matter what I want to do. I mean, you're paying for me to go to Hollywood Arts, so you must care a little bit, or you would just force me to go to North Ridge."

"We were afraid that if we tried to force you to North Ridge you would drop out of school completely to spite us, and that's the last thing we want."

Jade got the hidden meaning from the words that weren't said, and it made her feel even worse. "You don't have any faith in me at all, do you mom?"

"Jade, we just want you to be practical. You're taking so many showbiz related classes and nothing more than your basic cores. At least take an advanced Math class or something technological. You need a contingency."

"No, mom. What I _need_, is my parents to back me up."

Jade's mom sighed and looked out the window, not saying anything.

"In our Screenwriting class, everyone has been working on a short screenplay, no longer than 50 pages. Our project right now is groups of two have to act out a skit from someone's screenplay. It's not until Friday afternoon, but you should come. Actually see what your money pays for for once."

"I don't know Jade, I'm really busy during the days. We have a lot of clients and accounts that need special detail."

The swift kick of disappointment hit her square in the gut. "Nah it's okay, I shouldn't have asked. I know how it is."

Jade hung her head and started putting the pictures away. She grabbed the one at the Freezy Queen and reached over her body to put it back in the box, but her mom reached a hand forward and grabbed it. Jade stopped and watched her mom as she looked over the picture carefully, studying each person's face like she was afraid she would forget what they looked like. A smile curled up the corner of her mom's mouth, and she handed the photo back to Jade wordlessly, getting up and heading out of the room.

Tori headed home after school, upset about the new project. She didn't hate Jade by any means, she was just still hurt and didn't want to have to deal with the unsettled awkwardness while trying to do schoolwork. The prospect of having to go to Jade's house or having her come over felt daunting, and Tori didn't like feeling that way. There was still a very raw part of her that had been exposed by Jade, and the burning in her chest to explore that area hadn't gone away.

Tori walked through the front door and found her mom baking in the kitchen. There were plates of cookies all over the counter. Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and snickerdoodles, and something else was coming out of the oven. Her mom laid a plate of brownies next to the chocolate chip cookies, smiling at Tori as she crossed into the kitchen.

"Hey mom, what's all this?"

"I had some free time, realized I haven't done any baking in a while. Put some music on and decided to keep myself busy."

"Well that's good, it smells amazing in here."

"These ones are still warm, come get one."

Tori walked to the other end of the counter and grabbed a fresh out of the oven snickerdoodle. It practically broke apart when she bit it, and the cinnamon sugar taste was a welcoming escape. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the sweetness, taking pleasure in something simple for once. She finished the other couple bites and looked back to her mom, who was smiling and rearranging plates to make room.

"Mom, that was delicious. You're incredible."

"Ah yes, and incredible people make incredible babies."

Tori's mom winked at her and went back to baking. Tori headed upstairs to sort out her homework and decide how she was going to do this thing with Jade. She had picked up a copy of the scene they were doing from Jake's screenplay and looked it over, getting an idea of what she was in for. The story was about two friends that went off to war together. One of the friends died, so the one that lived took care of his family when he got home. Tori immediately saw some possible complications with the script, but knew she would have no choice but to go along with it.

The breeze picked up outside, making the trees sway back and forth and a soft whistling sound come through Tori's window. She walked over and pushed down hard on the top of the window, silencing the whistle. On the return to her bed, she heard the doorbell ring. A minute later, Andre knocked on her bedroom door, stepping through it slowly.

"Hey girl, just came to check on you."

Tori smiled at her best friend. "You didn't have to come all the way over here, you could have just called."

"Yeah, but phone calls are so impersonal. Besides, I can't see you on the phone." He walked up and gave Tori a hug, squeezing his arms around her shoulders. "Whatcha got goin' on?"

"Screenwriting project. Some acting that I have to do with Jade on Friday."

"I see. I'm sure it'll be painless, you're both good actresses."

Tori grimaced. "Thanks, we'll see I guess."

"Alright, I'm headed to the mall. Just wanted to make sure my girl was workin' on puttin' that pep back in her step." Andre put his dukes up and play-boxed Tori's shoulder.

Tori smiled and laughed a bit. "Yeah, I'm working on it. What's at the mall?"

"Grabbin' some new records for my DJ setup."

"Cool. Have fun."

"Always. Call me if you need anything."

Andre winked at Tori and walked back downstairs. Tori heard the front door shut and huffed out a breath. She would have to call Jade sooner or later to practice their performance, and figured the sooner the better, so she grabbed her phone and dialed Jade's number.

"Jade."

"Oh...hey Tori."

"We gotta start practicing for this Screenwriting thing."

"Oh..."

"Why don't you come over here? My mom's been baking all day and Trina's not here, so it's quiet and smells delicious." Tori swore she could hear Jade's smile over the phone.

"Sure, when do you want me to be there?"

"Um, now I suppose."

"Okay, I'll be there in a few, I just gotta finish putting some stuff away."

"Alright, see you in a few."

"Bye."

Tori hung up and headed downstairs to let her mom know that Jade was on her way. When she got to the middle of the staircase she heard her mom talking in hushed tones, so she slowed down to listen. She sounded upset, snapping quickly with shallow breathing. Tori snuck down a few more steps so she could see into the kitchen.

"No Andrew, it's not a good time. I told you, we can't do this anymore. You know that's not true. Yes I did, and that's part of the reason why."

The broken conversation was a little confusing at first, but Tori realized who her mom was talking to, and what they were talking about. She felt her stomach roll over onto itself, and it made her feel nauseous. She walked down to the bottom of the steps and coughed into her fist, announcing her presence so her mom wouldn't say anything in front of her that she'd regret.

"I gotta go." Tori's mom hung up the phone and set it on the counter.

"Hey mom. Jade's stopping by, we gotta rehearse this thing."

"You okay? You still seem a little upset by the whole thing from yesterday."

"I am, but you gotta do what you gotta do."

"That's my girl."

Tori's mom took another pan out of the oven, fresh banana bread. The smell hit Tori's nose and instantly made her smile, since banana bread was one of her favorites. She walked to the counter and hovered over the bread pan, reveling in the scent. Her mom laughed and jolted the pan up and down quickly to unstick the bread from the bottom, then turned it over onto a plate.

Tori sat at the island and tried a chocolate chip cookie. They were still warm for the most part, so the chocolate chips melted on her tongue. She savored the silky texture, smiling when her mom sat a small glass of milk on the counter in front of her. She finished the cookie and washed it down in one go, resting a hand on her stomach.

The doorbell rang, and Tori took a deep breath, standing up to go answer it. She pulled the door open and saw Jade standing in front of her, bashful and almost intimidated. Jade stared down at the ground, holding one strap of her bag over her shoulder. She glanced up once, just quick enough to make eye contact and squeak out a smile, then looked back down.

Her outfit looked soft and clung to her curves, showing off her womanly figure. Her hips rounded off nicely, and the shirt she was wearing showed off the perkiness of her breasts. Tori couldn't help but stare her up and down, focusing on certain areas that caught her breath and ignited the heat in her center. She made one more sweep up and caught Jade's eyes watching her curiously. Tori snapped back to attention and stepped aside, waving Jade inside.

Jade walked into the familiar house, the scent of sweets hitting her nose right off the bat. She waved at Tori's mom, watching as she arranged all of the sweets on to plates. Tori closed the door softly and stood next to Jade, swinging her arms at her sides nervously. The two girls looked at each other and smiled quickly, the tension growing quickly.

"Well I guess we should get started" Jade said, turning to Tori for directions on where to go.

"Okay. Mom, we'll be upstairs."

"Alright, you two have fun."

Jade followed behind Tori as she was led up the stairs and into Tori's room. It smelled like cinnamon and Tori's vanilla perfume, making Jade salivate. The beautiful tan girl was always alluring, but the added sensory pleasures and the uncertainty of the situation made Jade's heart beat fast with excitement and fear. She traced the sides of Tori's legs as they walked, following her silky thighs up to perfectly round backside. Tori stopped and turned to face Jade, catching Jade's eyes on her body. It took every single ounce of self control she had to repress her smile, but she did so successfully.

"Okay, so what is this story about?" Jade asked, sitting on the edge of Tori's bed. Tori looked at her and she thought better of it, standing up again and walking over to the dresser, sitting against it on the floor.

"A couple guys go off to war together, one of them dies, the other makes it home and takes care of his friend's family."

"Sounds sweet. Who are the characters?"

"For this scene it's the guy who survived and his friend's wife. They've gotten close and he's fallen in love with her, but she is conflicted because he reminds her so much of her dead husband."

"Complicated. I like it."

"I guess I'll play the soldier, you can be the wife. That okay?"

"Sure, if that's what you want."

Tori grabbed a fake mustache she had in her jewelry box from a couple Halloweens ago and put it on. Jade smiled when Tori turned around, moving her mouth so it twitched up and down on the corners. Jade took her hoodie off and ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing it down over her shoulders. The scent of Pomegranate hit Tori's nose about the same time she noticed how big Jade's bust really was without something covering it, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. Jade smiled and straightened out her sleeves, pulling her shirt down and getting situated to get into character. Tori watched as the woman in front of her poked and prodded herself, seeing past the outside and into a glimpse of her personal security. She figured Jade must have been pretty confident in herself, but afraid to show it since her parents weren't very encouraging.

"Okay, I'm ready." Jade took deep calming breaths and waited for Tori to get situated.

"Alright, here's your copy." Tori handed Jade her copy of the script, open to where they were starting.

Tori tied her hair back in a tight bun so it couldn't be seen, giving the best illusion she could muster of a buzz cut. She tucked her shirt in and stood up straight and proper like a soldier would, legs together and eyes up. "Alright, I'm ready. Let's do this." Tori opened an imaginary door and walked forward, shutting it behind her.

"Hey there Sarge" Jade greeted as Mrs. Maria Miller, widow of Gunnery Sargent Jackson Miller of the United States Marine Corps.

"Ma'am" Tori took off and held an imaginary hat, responding as Staff Sargent Nicholas Dobschensky, also of the United States Marine Corps. "I came to thank you for the care package you sent me. That was very kind of you."

"Well you are welcome. I know how crazy your schedule can get with new recruits coming in, so I figured you didn't have time to pick up anything."

"That's correct, I have been very busy lately."

"You don't come by like you used to Nick, I miss having you around."

Tori looked at Jade with the slightest hint of curiosity, wondering if that was Mrs. Miller or Jade saying that.

"Things have been kind of...confusing for me lately, Maria." Tori pulled out her desk chair and sat down, scooting into an imaginary coffee table. "I mean, it's been a year now. I know that's not very long, but I thought we had a good thing goin' here. We like each other, right?" Tori looked Jade right in the eyes as she spoke.

Jade's heartbeat quickened and the words on the page seemed to vibrate. "Yes we do, but you just remind me so much of him that it's hard to close out that part of my life when I see him in you."

"This back and forth thing can't go on Maria." Tori stood up and paced around her room. "It's tearin' me up inside. I'm losing concentration at work. The men can see it in me. I don't want their trust to waver because they think I'm not at the top of my game. And right now, I'm not at the top of my game."

Jade looked down at the imaginary table and pursed her lips. "I know you don't deserve this Nick" she added, walking over and putting her hands on Tori's shoulders. "I'm trying the best I can to work myself out and be a better person for you. I can't change in a day, but I'm sure as hell trying." Tears formed in Jade's eyes, projecting how she really felt a little too much into the character.

Tori fidgeted a little and looked away from Jade's eyes. "I know you're trying, and I'm trying to give you as much time as I can, but it still hurts."

She looked back into Jade's eyes and put her hands on Jade's hips. Jade leaned forward, closing the gap between them excruciatingly slowly until the two women were nose to nose, breathing in eachother's scent. Tori shook from head to toe with anticipation, and Jade could feel her hands shaking against her hips. Jade made a bee line and pressed her lips on Tori's so gently she could barely feel it, still as a painting. Tori didn't move, so Jade pressed harder, pecking once and moving back to her original spot.

Tori blinked once, twice, then finally started breathing again. The same electricity she felt from the first kiss coursed through her veins, making every inch of her body tingle, heat spreading from her center up into her stomach. She wanted so badly to press forward and take Jade. Lay her down, straddle her and really put some effort into it. Jade's ocean blue eyes bored straight into her soul, which made Tori's next move one of the hardest things she'd ever done.

Tori put both hands flat on Jade's stomach and pushed gently, taking a step back herself. Her legs were so weak she could barely stand, but the resolve in her heart was still strong. She needed to give Jade more time to truly figure out what she wanted, and then the two of them had to start from the beginning and take it slow. Jade looked disappointed as she turned and put the script into her purse, picking it up off the floor.

"That was...great Tori. You're really talented."

"So are you Jade, you really helped me get into character."

Jade nodded and smiled while her insides felt like they were on fire. "I should probably go now, I don't want to take up any more of your time than I need to."

"Jade, we're still friends. I don't want you to think that it's an act of Congress for me to be doing this with you right now. I just thought it would be easier for both of us if we got some space for a while. We were hanging out a lot and it was just too much too fast."

"Yeah, I get it. I'm working on it, I promise."

Tori looked at the beautiful, broken woman standing in front of her. Jade's eyes looked pained, but still sparkled brighter than anything Tori had ever seen. "I believe you."

"I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Okay. Drive safe."

As soon as Jade left the room, Tori crawled onto her bed and laid flat on her back, staring at the ceiling. She could barely keep her breathing under control and her skin felt like she was burning from the inside out. Her face would definitely be flushed in the mirror, and sweat beaded on the back of her neck. She gathered her hair and moved it to the side, the coolness of the pillow on her neck sending shivers down her spine. Her whole body tingled, and when the shiver hit her lower body she felt the throbbing between her legs, involuntarily bucking her hips. Tori squeezed her thighs together hard, trying to ignore the heat and wetness. She cupped one of her breasts and squeezed it, biting down hard on her lip, and just when she was about to give in to the pressure, she heard voices coming up the stairs.

**A/N: I know you guys are gonna hate me for cliffhanging that, but honestly, this chapter is 17 pages, so I needed to cut it off. I promise you we'll get to that scene soon, though. I hope this chapter is satisfying and you're still interested in the story, as there's a lot to go. Jori haven't even started the rebuilding process yet, and there are some big story arcs to come to help that process along. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Plus And Minus Things

The voices got louder, and soon they stopped at Tori's door. A soft knock, and Cat and Andre were walking in side by side. Tori sat up on her bed, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself quickly.

"Hey Tori!"

"Hey girl, what's good?" Andre added through bites of a cookie.

"Hey guys. Jade just left, we were practicing for our skit on Friday for Screenwriting class."

"Oh really? How'd that go?" Andre walked the rest of the way in and sat on the bed.

"It was good." Tori stood up and paced around a little, senses heightened and breath shallow. "We did a run through of the skit and then she went home."

"Sounds like you guys are on the right track" Cat added, suddenly making a straight shot to Tori's desk to grab something shiny.

"Well not to be rude or anything, but why are you guys here?"

"Oh, we're hittin' a matinee at Royal's in about thirty, wanted to see if you were busy."

Tori really wanted some personal time to deal with her buildup. She'd never been as anxious to find some relief as she was right then, all of the buildup with Jade was killing her. The thought of succumbing to carnal desires brought about by Jade made her even hotter, and it was getting harder and harder to hold her composure. As good as it sounded to give in, she knew that if she did, she wouldn't be able to keep standing up to Jade in person until the situation had changed for the better, and that was something she couldn't afford to have happen.

"Yeah, sure I'll go with you guys. Just, uh, give me a few minutes to get ready. I'll meet you downstairs in five. Go have some more sweets."

"I love sweets, your mom's got a gift." Andre saluted with the last piece of cookie and popped it in his mouth, leading Cat back downstairs.

Tori fanned her face for a second, then hurried to her dresser to grab fresh underwear. She cleaned up quickly in the bathroom and changed her bottoms, throwing the wet ones in the laundry basket, then grabbed her jacket on the way out. Her mom was sitting on the couch watching an afternoon talk show and Cat and Andre were in the kitchen pigging out, trying one of everything they could get their hands on.

"Cat, you know sugar isn't good for you."

"I know, isn't it great? Ahahaha."

Andre raised and eyebrow at Cat but laughed all the same.

"Okay mom, we're going to the movies."

"Alright baby, what are you gonna see?"

"Um...I don't even know."

"They're playing The Maltese Falcon at Royal's."

"That's a good one. Have fun kids."

"You gonna be okay just hanging around here, mom? I feel like I leave you alone too much."

Tori's mom laughed and turned around in the her seat to face her. "I'll be just fine, boo. Go have fun with your friends."

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too, kiddo."

Jade took the long way home, listening to a calming playlist to try to relax herself. She had gotten so worked up with Tori that her whole body was buzzing, a heightened sense of touch gave her goosebumps at every move. Every red light she hit she would close her eyes and tip her head back, retracing the curves of Tori's legs as they walked up the stairs. Catching Tori stealing glances at her when she was preparing for the scene. The growing need to have Tori underneath her was getting unbearable, Jade needed a way to get her mind off things.

When she pulled into the driveway at home, both of her parents cars were there. It was four thirty, so Jade guessed her parents were both in the kitchen, her mom preparing something for dinner and her dad sitting at the island watching the news on the small TV that hung from the overhang. The house smelled like chicken, and when she walked into the kitchen, she saw her mom was making chicken penne with alfredo sauce, which used to be Jade's favorite meal as a kid.

"Hey kid."

"Hi mom, dad. What are you guys doing?"

"You're lookin' at it." Jade's dad flicked through a magazine on the table, eyes going back and forth from the pages to the TV screen.

"I figured I would make something we haven't had in a while" her mom added, stirring the complete sauce before taking it to the dining room table.

Jade grabbed the basket of garlic bread and took it into the dining room as well, sitting it on the table next to the sauce. Her mom smiled at her as she passed on her way back to the kitchen, and Jade was starting to get suspicious of her mom's behavior. Her family was never like this, but it was a great escape from the ordinary, so she would take it as long as it was this easy.

Minutes later her parents both came to the table and sat down, her mom bringing out a bowl of green beans to complete the meal. Each dish was passed around as Jade and her parents took what they wanted and started eating. A pleasant meal, one of her favorites no less, with no bickering and no disappointed stares. Jade wasn't sure if maybe someone in the family had died or if one of her parents was going to announce they were sending her to boarding school in France, but the circumstances were definitely strange.

"So, what's going on at school, Jade?" her mom asked, taking a bite of bread.

"Well, my cores are good. I got an A on my last English paper."

"That's good, you always did like to write" her dad added between bites of chicken.

"Yeah. And this Friday I have a skit with Tori, who you met recently," Jade pointed to her mom with her fork, "for Screenwriting class."

"In front of the class, or is it a big production thing?"

"No uh, we, Tori and I, will meet up with the teacher and the kid who's script we're working from after school and it'll just be the four of us."

"Aha." Jade's mom took a long drink from her glass of wine.

"I was kind of wondering," Jade toyed with the food on her plate a little, "if you guys wanted to meet me there? See what I can do, you know." She figured the mood was right, her parents seemed to be in good spirits. She might as well try to get them to see reason, and this was as good a shot as any.

Jade's dad nodded his head as he chewed, setting down his fork and checking his watch. He wiped his mouth and picked picked something out of his teeth, clearing his throat to speak. "Well, I have a lot going on, Fridays are usually pretty busy for me."

"I can probably make it." Jade looked over at her mom with an air of surprise. "The other partners agreed on an early day on Friday so we can loosen up over the weekend before we start loan season next week. Make it out, Frank. We should at least go see one of these things that cost so damn much." She looked over at Jade and smiled, and Jade felt like she had no idea who these people at the table were.

"I can probably swing it, so you can expect us both. If something happens I'll get you a message to let you know."

"Wow, thanks guys. I didn't expect you to actually go along with it."

"We just may not be the scary monsters you think we are after all."

Jade felt better than she had in a long time with her family, and the sudden change peaked her appetite. The rest of the dinner was light conversation about work and school, some stories in the news. Jade's dad was an investment banker, so a lot of his job was underwriting, aka math and logistics. Her mom was a corporate accountant, which meant her job was pretty much all math with a little bit of human resources on the side. Their attention to detail and ability to crunch numbers was the leading reason why Jade was usually on the chopping block for Hollywood Arts, as the probability of striking it rich in the industry was considerably lower than that of acquiring and maintaining a real world career.

Once Jade finished eating she volunteered to clear the table, so her parents retired to the living room while she moved the plates to the kitchen. Any kind of work was always easier with music, so she pulled the PearPod out of her bag on the island and placed it on top of the portable dock system that was plugged in near the sink. Her Homework playlist started and she figured that was good, rinsing off the plates and putting them in the dishwasher.

The cleanup was pretty quick and easy, and before she knew it, Jade was sitting around idly. There was no homework to be done, and she didn't really watch much TV, so she just laid back on her bed and cycled through some of the things that had been on her mind. School, Tori, her parents, Tori, Beck and his new girlfriend, Tori. Jade closed her eyes and squeezed them tight, but all she could see was the curvy Latina on the inside of her eyelids. Deciding it would be better to get up and do something, she grabbed her phone and put on some walking shoes, intent on just going for a walk.

It was pretty cold outside, but the sky was clear and the sun was going down, splashing color along the horizon. Jade put her hands in her hoodie pockets and headed towards the coffee shop between her and Tori's houses. Traffic was waning from rush hour, and about half way to the coffee shop most of it was gone. The neighborhood was quiet, giving a feeling of serenity. Jade looked in people's windows as she passed some houses. Families were watching TV together or parents were helping their kids with homework. Brothers and sisters chasing each other around with toys, pretending to be some kind of outlandish monster or superhero. Jade thought back to when she was young, and remembered a very different scenario.

She usually liked to stay inside, listening to music or taking in some other form of media. She liked to watch movies and pretend she was the character she liked the best, running around her room and shouting lines. Her parents would laugh and play along with her, until she got a little older. The acting thing started to bother her dad. He always told her she needed to get out and get a new hobby, make new friends. Her mom was okay with it for a little longer, until she got the brochure for Hollywood Arts from one of Jade's middle school teachers.

The price of tuition was one thing, but her mom also didn't feel like she would be getting the proper education in core classes, like HA would be nothing but fun and games and Hollywood stuff, with no solid backing to fall back on. Jade tried to explain to her parents that she was taking all the same classes she would in a normal school, since by state law you have to have a certain amount of credits in core classes to graduate, but her parents didn't buy that the quality level was the same, since the teacher that taught Math also taught Camera Techniques.

The arguments continued over the years, but Jade stayed at Hollywood Arts. Her parents seemed to drop the day by day nagging and go with the flow, but any time there was a serious moment, it would get brought up again like clockwork. Jade was pretty confident in her talents, so the thought of having to fall back on her cores wasn't really big in her mind, despite how hard her parents tried to engrave it in her mind. She figured that if acting didn't work out, she could write, or at least direct or something. Going to Hollywood Arts had its advantages, since casting directors and all sorts of other Hollywood types were always recruiting students right out of school.

Jade reached the coffee shop and got a large white chocolate caramel cappuccino, then headed to one of the tables out front and sat down with it. The sun was just level with the house line so she was temporarily blinded, but it didn't take long for the sun to sink the rest of the way behind the hills. The sky popped a brilliant purple and orange, with the night's first stars shining through. Couples walked by bundled in their stylish sport coats, handling leashes for pint sized excuses for dogs. They yapped in that high pitched screech that Jade hated so much whenever they passed, which caused her to hiss at them like a cat, making the owners shuffle off quicker.

As the sun disappeared the night got colder, causing Jade to shiver even with the warm liquid running through her. She got up and headed back for the house, eyeing a same sex couple who were walking hand in hand across the street. The two boys looked happy as could be, smiling and laughing about something Jade couldn't hear. Their happiness made her smile, and she wondered if that's what her and Tori would look like walking together. Tori was perfect in every way possible, and Jade figured she wasn't bad herself, so the two of them would probably look pretty good side by side.

By the time she got back to her house, Jade's mind was full up on Tori. All the thoughts and images she'd suppressed over the last couple of days were knocking on the door again, and it was hard to even concentrate on putting on foot in front of the other. It was going on seven o'clock, so Jade figured she would check The Slap since she hadn't done that in a while, then probably throw in a movie and head to bed.

Tori rode in the back seat on the way to the theater, listening half-heartedly as Cat and Andre rambled on about something they'd heard in school. Tori watched out the window, examining buildings as they passed, discovering new things she hadn't noticed before or rediscovering some of her favorite places. Families walked together down the sidewalks, usually coming from a shop or a restaurant. Everyone in a constant state of change, flowing from one destination to the next.

They arrived at the theater and found a place to park, getting tickets and snacks before sitting down. Tori got a Dr. Pepper, Andre got a Barqs and Cat got a Lemonade, and they got a large bucket of popcorn to share. There was about ten minutes of previews in which Tori thought more people would show up, but no one did. It was rather early, and the movie was from 1941. Andre said it was one of his favorites, and Cat added that it was on about every classic movie list there ever was.

The lights dimmed down and the picture started, and words filled the screen.

_In 1539, the Knight Templars of Malta, paid tribute to Charles V of Spain, by sending him a Golden Falcon encrusted from beak to jaw with rarest jewels-but pirates seized the galley carrying this priceless token and the fate of the Maltese Falcon remains a mystery to this day-_

Tori recognized Humphrey Bogart when he came on screen, and some time later she realized she'd become captivated in the old film. By the time Detective Spade had returned to the dock to find the burning ship, she caught a glimpse of Andre and Cat both smiling at her.

"What?"

"You should see how rapt with attention you are, it's pretty amazing."

"Yeah, it's like you've never seen a movie before, ahaha."

"Hey! It's really good, leave me alone." She turned back to the screen and delved in once more, eager to find out more about the mystery.

Once the movie had finished and the credits began to roll, Tori was sitting with one foot on her seat, her arms wrapped around her leg with her teeth dug into her knee in anticipation. She slowly unfurled, and Cat and Andre had the same smile as before. Tori got up and led them back into the lobby, heading for the car.

"That was incredible."

"Now you see why it's on so many lists of incredible movies."

"Yeah, I can definitely see how it's one of your favorites, Andre."

"I'll have to get you out here again sometime to catch up on some of the other classics." Andre winked and put his arm around Tori's shoulders as they walked through the front doors of the theater.

On the way back to Tori's house her phone rang. It was her dad, so Andre turned the music down so she could answer it.

"Hey kiddo."

"Hey dad, what's up?"

"Oh not much, just had a quiet moment at work for a change. Just wanted to check in with you and see how you're doing."

"I'm okay, not much has changed in the actual routine."

"That's good. Well listen, I want to get together sometime, go out for dinner or something so we can talk about what's going on."

"Just us? What about Trina?"

Her dad laughed. "Well, let's just say I'll deal with her on my own time so you don't have to."

"Take one for the team, huh? Okay, well I have a skit with Jade after school on Friday, I can go after that."

"What time is your skit?"

"Not sure, probably something around three o'clock."

"I'll see if I can get out early and come see it."

"Aww dad you don't have to do that, I know you're busy and everything."

"Well sweetheart part of the reason our family is in this mess is because I'm always busy, that's gonna have to change."

"Okay. I'd like for you to make it if you can, but don't like rearrange things or do anything crazy just to be there."

"I'll always do crazy things to be there for you, kid. I gotta go, I'll call you tomorrow night to double check on everything. I love you."

"Love you too, dad."

Tori hung up the phone and smiled. She was glad to hear from her dad finally. All the uncertainty around the house was kind of building up, even though there wasn't any actual tension with her mom. Andre looked in the rear view mirror and winked, turning the music back up for the rest of the ride. They reached Tori's house in a few minutes after the call and she got out, walking over to the driver's side window.

"Thanks for taking me guys, I had fun."

"You got it, girl. Anytime."

"Thanks for coming Tori!" Cat waved and giggled in her signature style.

"Bye guys. Drive safe."

She backpedaled towards the front door and watched as the car crept out of the driveway and sped off. Inside, her mom wasn't downstairs, so Tori assumed she was up in her room going through case files for work. Stomach growling, Tori hit the kitchen, looking for something small to eat before heading upstairs. She decided on fruit, grabbing a knife and a melon baller to prepare a small dish.

Once she had everything, she headed upstairs, stopping by her mom's room before heading into her own, knocking on the door softly. Her mom answered with a soft "come in" and continued to flip through pages, scribbling notes on several different notepads.

"Hey mom, I'm home."

"Yes you are. How was the movie?"  
"I really liked it actually, I hope to go back and catch some of the other classics they show."

Her mom smiled. "That's good, I'm glad you had a good time."

"Dad called me on the way home."

"Did he? What did he have to say?"

"He said he wanted to have dinner and talk, catch up on stuff."

Tori's mom set her pen down, taking her glasses off and folding them. "Well that's good, I'm glad he's making an effort to see you. Did you guys come up with a plan?"

"Yeah. I have a skit with Jade on Friday afternoon after school, and he said he would try to make it in to see it, but if he couldn't he would at least be there to pick me up when it was over."

"I wish I could be there kiddo, but I have a deposition to attend for a big case and I can't miss it."

"It's okay mom, it's not anything huge like a production. We're just doing a scene in front of the teacher and another student."

"Okay, well let me know how it goes when I get home."

"I will. I'm gonna head in and eat this then probably go to bed early."

"Okay sweetie, love you."

"Love you too."

Tori learned forward and kissed her mom on top of the head, and her mom laughed sweetly. She grabbed her glasses and put them on, picking up the pen once more to continue writing notes on her case. Tori headed back to her room, turning on the light and closing her door once she got in. It was a little chilly, so she set her fruit down on the desk and adjusted the thermostat, hearing the heater kick on when she turned the dial.

She put her PearPod on the dock that sat next to her computer, starting a slow playlist while she ate her fruit. The days were starting to get shorter, and it was getting dark earlier. It was only six forty five and it was already dark outside, the streetlight visible from her window shining brightly. It was pretty calm, no pedestrians and little traffic, no wind to speak of. Tori thought about the next day at school. What projects she had for different classes, who she needed to speak with about certain assignments and whether or not she had enough money left in her locker for lunch for the next two days.

Thinking of school eventually led to thinking of the skit on Friday, and thinking of the skit on Friday eventually led to thinking about Jade. The sweetness of the melon reminded Tori of the sweetness of Jade's lip gloss, and before she knew it she was breathing shallow again. Determined to keep control, she grabbed her DVD case and put in a random disc for something to watch. It turned out to be the old comedy Heavyweights, one of her favorite movies with Ben Stiller. She climbed up into her bed and hunkered down, throwing herself into another movie for distraction purposes.

The next morning Jade got up at the usual time to get ready for school. She turned the TV on before rolling out of bed, wanting to get the weather report before heading to her closet. The ticker at the bottom of the screen had school closings, and Jade noticed an 'arts', but it scrolled past before she could see what was in front of it. She sat up in bed and watched the ticker start over, hearing some news story about a local man who had thwarted an attack at an ATM overnight. It came back through, and Jade read 'Hollywood Arts – Closed (Teacher Work Day).' Gleeful with the news of no school, Jade slid back down in her bed and got comfortable again, thinking of getting a couple more hours of sleep.

Her bed was warm and soft, two thousand thread count sheets and a silk comforter. The newscaster rifled through stories with admirable accuracy, able to fit everything she wanted to say in the allotted time without eating any of her words. A story about a woman who was let go from a private law firm when she came out as gay caught her interest, and she perked up to listen to the woman speak.

"I announced my coming out about three weeks ago. I told my family and friends first of course, and word spread a little after that. It eventually got back to my bosses, who questioned me about the rumors they'd heard. I told them it was true, that I'd finally come to terms with who I am as a person and I was ready to live my life for real."

"What did they say to you?" the reporter asked, adjusting the microphone.

"They said "congrats" and that was pretty much it. Some of the people around the office were a little warmer than others. I got a few cards and some baked goods, but some people wouldn't even look at me anymore."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Well obviously I didn't feel great about it, but your job is your job, you aren't necessarily there to make friends, so you go back and do what you gotta do each day no matter what."

"Of course. So what happened just recently? You went back to work and everything was fine for a while, correct?"

"Yeah. I mean, everything pretty much went back to normal until a few days ago. I got called up to the top office at the end of my shift, so I went up to see what was going on. They told me to sit down, and I did. My boss looked me right in the eye and said 'We don't feel you've been performing up to standards lately, and quite frankly we're not very impressed with your demeanor.'"

"And what did you take that to mean?"

"I thought it was pretty obvious given the recent happenings in my life that they were trying to force me out because of my sexuality. By the way they treated me when they heard the news, it was no question to me that that was their motive."

"If that is the case, it's a tough break. What do you plan to do now?"

"I suppose I'll do what anyone else in my situation would, which is start looking for new employment and try to put this mess behind me. I don't really want to fight for a job in a place where I'm not respected."

"That makes perfect sense to me. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. I'm Annelise Brock, reporting live from downtown Hollywood for News 13 KSBW."

The story left Jade with a sour taste in her mouth. The pettiness of people had really gotten to an all time low, and with Jade's recent development with Tori, the woman's story really left her feeling upset. It was two thousand and twelve, she figured people would have gotten over their differences by now and just let each other be who they are, but apparently that wasn't the case.

The upset feeling turned to anger, and the anger turned to a sense of purpose. Jade grabbed her phone from her bedside table and texted Tori, letting her know about the school cancellation. She planned on feeling her out, seeing if she was in an okay mood to ask her if she wanted to do something.

_Hey Tor, there's no school today since it's a teacher work day, got any plans?_

She laid back on her pillow and waited for Tori to text back, flipping the channel from the news to the Classic Rock music channel. Foghat played 'Slow Ride' in the background, and finally Jade's phone buzzed with the reply from Tori.

_Thanks for the notice, I just got out of the shower. Uh, no, I don't really have anything planned since I was planning on going to school. Did you have something in mind?_

Jade smiled from ear to ear at the prospect of having a whole day with Tori again. She planned her words carefully, sending back another message as quick as possible.

_Well, I saw a news story about a woman that got fired for coming out as gay, and it just kind of fired me up a little. I feel like going out and living, being happy with my life since I'm lucky to not have to deal with stuff like that right now. What do you say?_

It was only a minute before Tori responded.

_Well, this should be interesting. Count me in. Do you want me to come over or do you want to pick me up?_

Jade smiled hugely and got out of bed, grabbing clothes together so she could shower quick and get ready. She grabbed a bra and underwear and headed to the bathroom with her phone, texting as she walked.

_I'll come get you. Let me shower real quick and I'll be there._

Jade showered as fast as she could, dressing so quickly she almost fell over putting her jeans on. On the way out, she had a stroke of genius, reaching under the bed and grabbing the shoebox full of memories. She scooped everything out of it and headed upstairs, stopping in the kitchen to grab a gallon freezer bag from a drawer in the kitchen. She deposited all of the photos and letters into the bag and sealed it, putting the bag in hers and heading for the door.

She practically sped the entire way to Tori's house, even running a red light around the corner. She parked in the driveway and got out her phone, calling Tori to tell her she was there. Tori appeared minutes later, and all of a sudden Jade couldn't breathe. Tori swung her hips from side to side as she walked, skinny jeans so tight they looked like they were painted on. Boots that rose almost to her knees, and a dark blue fleece hoodie that zipped up the middle. When she got in the car the familiar smell of vanilla and strawberries hit Jade's nose, and she noticed Tori was wearing a light blue eyeshadow and some blue feather earrings.

"Geez Vega, I asked if you wanted to hang out, I didn't say it was a date."

"What makes you think I would have said yes if you did call it a date?" Tori retorted with a wide smile that reached her sparkling eyes.

Jade laughed with tongue in cheek, backing out of the driveway. She headed for the coast, a certain spot she used to hang out at when she was a kid. Jade was fine with the silence, but she figured she would be polite and offer some music. She reached back to the floor behind her seat and grabbed the PearPod out of her bag, hanging it to Tori.

"You can find something to listen to if you're bored."

"Cool, thanks. Anything in particular you want? I'm open to whatever."

Jade smiled to herself at the last part of the comment, taking a right turn. "Something chill, whatever works for you."

The sky was a light shade of gray, but it didn't look in danger of spilling over. The drive to Jade's spot normally would have taken close to an hour, but since it was a weekday the traffic was really minimal, and they ended up reaching their destination in about forty minutes. Jade parked at the very edge of the parking lot, unbuckling her seatbelt and turning to Tori.

"I used to come here all the time when I was young. My cousin lived in that house right over there." Jade pointed to a small but nice looking white house right along the edge of the beach. "But they moved away about four years ago."

"Where'd they go?"

"My Uncle got a job in Switzerland. Some research grants and other science things I'm not really sure about."

"That sucks. Were you and your cousin close? What's their name?"

"Her name is Kait. And yeah, if my parents ever got into it, I'd ask to come stay the weekend over here. I spent a lot of time walking around the little pools in the rocks right over there."

Tori opened the door and got out of the car, walking in the direction of the pools Jade had pointed out. It was windy down by the water which made it pretty cold, so Tori zipped her hoodie up the rest of the way and put the hood up. She stopped and turned around, waiting for Jade to lock the car and catch up. They walked side by side to the area Jade mentioned, seeing tons of little pools separated by the rocks.

"My Uncle used to teach me about all of the little ecosystems in these pools. All the little fish and other creatures that thrive in this one little area."

"That's so cool, look at em all."

Tori's eyes lit up as she looked around, and Jade felt her heart flutter every time she would look over at her. Tori looked up at Jade and caught her off guard, watching Jade's eyes look her over. Tori blushed a hard red and tucked her hair behind her ear, clearing her throat. Jade snapped back to attention and pointed out an area over to the left of where they were standing.

"I used to dig for Clams right over here. Whenever I came to stay we'd do a big surf n turf thing, it was pretty cool. I learned how to shuck Oysters and all of that."

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun over here."

"Yeah, this place was like, somewhere I could be a different person than I was at home. I was growing into myself, learning what I wanted to be, stuff like that. My parents didn't really take to it, so I was kind of forced to be a shut in at home. I didn't really hang out for family activities or watch TV with them. I usually ate dinner, helped clean up when I was asked and then went back to my room."

"I can't really say I hear you, since my family was pretty close when we were young. The whole family night with board games and all that, but I can sympathize."

"I didn't really take it personally. I mean I did at first, but then I figured hey, if my parents come around they come around, and if they don't, then I guess I have to work even harder."

Tori looked at Jade and in that moment, she saw so many things. A mixture of pain and pride, perseverance and humility. Tori used to look at Jade as a one-sided downer that was just out to ruin everyone's fun because she hated herself or something, but it had never been more clear to her than in that moment that the beautiful, pale skinned woman next to her was anything but one-sided.

Jade walked to the water's edge and looked out, covering her eyes with her hand to see if she could spot anything. Tori followed her with her eyes, taking in everything she'd heard so far. It wasn't that Jade was selfish or hated herself, it wasn't that she wanted to make everyone else as miserable as her. It was that Jade was actually really determined and full of pride, but getting shut down by her top supporters time after time had turned her outlook sour, and she couldn't imagine anyone would know how to deal with that very well.  
Jade turned from the water to look at Tori, who was shivering a bit from the gusts of wind. She walked to the trunk of the car and popped it open with the remote on her keyring, grabbing a wool emergency blanket out before shutting it again. She walked up to Tori and placed the blanket over her shoulders, holding up the corners so she could grip the inside and wrap it around herself. The two women stood and looked out at the water for a few minutes, each lost in thought of which the other was unaware. Jade decided to move away from the edge a bit before Tori got too cold, so she put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around, leading her up the beach to a little shack.

Jade pointed to a table in front of the building, silently guiding Tori to sit while she went to the car to grab her bag. She returned with the plastic bag she had filled with the photos and letters that morning on her way out, ready to show Tori everything. Jade hadn't even shown Beck these things in their two year relationship, but she felt more connected to Tori than she had any other person in her life, and she felt she owed Tori a little bit of her good side after everything she'd done to her over the last 4 months.

"This," Jade pulled out the photo on top, "is Kait. She's two years older than me."

"She's quite the looker, eh?"

"Definitely so. I hear she's got a following in Switzerland."

Tori laughed, eyes flickering from the photo in Jade's hand to the bag on the table. "What's that one?"

Jade pointed. "This one?"

Tori nodded her head.

"This one was taken at the Fairgrounds when I was ten. Kait is there, and the other two are Dennis and Jay, cousins from another Aunt and Uncle."

"That looks like fun, I love hot air balloons."

"Yeah, we got to go up close to them and get inside the baskets and stuff. We didn't go up, though."

"Still, that sounds cool. Where are the other cousins?"

"Dennis was the oldest, and he enlisted when he turned eighteen. Jay was into music, and last I knew he was in a band and going to school."

"Do you ever talk to them?"

"Not really." Jade fidgeted with her fingernails a bit. "When I started to internalize everything, I gave up contact with a lot of my family. Most of them probably think I'm some weird vampire freak that eats raw animals or something by now."

Tori felt guilty that Jade had so much beauty inside of her that she was reluctant to let out. She had so many great memories with her family from when she was young, and Jade only had a bag with some photos and letters. She looked at the woman next to her, her face mostly smiling but with the pained ghost of a time when smiles weren't forced visible behind her eyes.

"Jade..."

"Tori?"

Tori unwrapped the blanket and stretched around Jade's shoulders, wrapping her up in it as well. "Thanks for bringing me here."

Jade smiled for real that time, looking down at the objects strewn across the table top. "You know Beck hasn't even seen this stuff?"

Tori's eyes opened wide. "Seriously? Why not?"

"This stuff is...really private to me. Everyone sees the side of me that's, well, bitchy. The side that's weathered and able to take a beating. But this stuff appeals to a side of me that's still really...raw. I don't think I'd be able to handle it if someone attacked me from this angle."

"Why do you trust me with it?"

"Because...I...We're friends. We share a common bond that the others don't, on a level that's pretty emotional. I figured if anyone would accept it, it would be you. I wanted you to see who I really am. Or at least, who I could be. I don't know."

Tori stood up from the table, folding the blanket over her arm and setting it on the top. She held her hand out to Jade, who reached over and took it. Jade stood up and turned to face Tori, who closed the gap in one big stride, pulling Jade in close and squeezing her tight. Jade instantly teared up, spilling over onto Tori's shoulder, giving in to the impulse to let it all out. She never felt more comfortable than she did in Tori's arms, and that comfort allowed her to really let loose, and it felt good.

After a few minutes Jade stepped back, wiping tears from her eyes and looking at Tori. Tori smiled and swayed back and forth a bit in her spot, a kind smile on her face. She reached forward and moved the hair out of Jade's eyes, tucking it behind her ears, then placed her palms flat on Jade's cheeks and wiped the tears from her eyes with her thumbs.

"I'm glad you showed me all of this, Jade. I never wanted anything more than to be friends with you, but I had to look out for myself too. It really sucked forcing myself to not talk to you and stuff, and waiting for you to do this was such a drag."

Jade smiled so wide her eyes were slits, and Tori giggled.

"I've been trying to figure out the best way to go about it. I realized the straight approach was the best one, get it all out on the table right away and see where the chips land."

Tori smiled and took Jade's hand in hers, locking their fingers together. The two walked towards the car and hopped in, turning the heat on and finding some more driving music. It was lunch time, so Tori called the rest of the group to see where everyone was while Jade drove. She made mental notes of each conversation before turning to Jade after the last one, catching her up on the details.

"Cat and Robbie both said they were open, but Andre is helping his grandma and, uh..."

"Beck is...? You can tell me Tori."

"He's out with Jennifer."

"It's okay, I'm over it. Really. I'm good." She turned and winked at Tori.

"Good, hopefully everything goes back to normal at school tomorrow."

"So what's the idea here? Are we meeting them somewhere?"

"Cat said she wanted Sushi, so I texted Robbie and asked him if that was okay and he said yeah, and I was waiting to ask you if that was alright with you."

"Yeah I'm fine with that."

"Okay, I'll text them both and have them meet us at Nozu in twenty."

Nozu was pretty busy for a weekday lunch time, seeing as a lot of schools were out for teacher workshops. Tori noticed some kids she knew from North Ridge in the corner, noisily laughing and throwing things at the people in the booth behind them. The four of the group sat at the bar up front, ordering drinks first and then sitting back to relax while they went through the menu.

Tori ordered a Kobe Burger with a side of Shishito peppers. Cat got a California Sunset roll with a side of Seafood and Vegetable Tempura. Robbie got a bowl of Chirashi, and Jade got the house smoked Ivory Salmon with a Rainbow roll on the side. They started on their meals, casually imparting their opinions on what they ordered between bites.

Cat managed to fling part of her roll across the bar hit someone in the face on accident, which made Jade laugh and caused the man who was hit to get upset. Cat looked like she was going to cry when the man got angry, so Jade walked over and told him to shut it down because he was scaring her friend. The man let it go, turning back to his lunch date with a sour look on his face, and Jade went back to the bar satisfied. Tori looked at Jade in amazement while she chewed, suddenly even more thankful for the day off from school.

At the end of the meal, Cat and Robbie parted ways with Jade and Tori and headed off to finish out their day off relaxing. Tori and Jade got back in the car and settled in, buckling their seatbelts and checking teeth in their mirrors. Jade started the car but left it in park, glancing over at Tori.

"So what do you want to do from here?"

"I think I should probably head back to my house and clean up a bit. Ever since..." Tori stopped mid sentence and looked bashful, avoiding eye contact with Jade.

"Ever since what, Tor?"

"Ever since my dad moved out, the house has been kind of in disarray. Trina is never home and my mom has been pulling long hours, and I've been wrapped up in my own stuff and-"

"Wait, your dad left? How come you didn't tell me?"

"I was trying to maintain a separation, remember?"

"Yeah but Tori that's not something you should try to deal with by yourself."

"I know, I just didn't really want to talk about it. You were right when you said I'm a fantastic actress, it hurts way more than I let on, but I try to cover it up the best I can because no one needs to know."

Mentioning her outburst made Jade feel horrible. Memories flooded back of how awful she was, and she instantly wanted to crawl in a hole and die. "Tori, I'm sorry again for all of that. I don't think you'll ever know how sorry I am for doing that in front of everyone, especially your family."

"It's fine Jade, really. You're wasting gas just sitting here you know."

Jade had such a strong urge to kiss Tori at that moment that she had to bite her lip so hard it bled a little in her mouth. She put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking lot in the direction of Tori's place, swallowing blood as she set out. They arrived about fifteen minutes later, and Jade turned the car off in the driveway.

"Don't want to waste any more gas."

"Well aren't we a comedian?" Tori retorted, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"I have my moments I guess."

"Thanks for today. It really meant a lot to me, Jade."

"Well just think of how much it meant to you and it meant twice that to me, I promise."

Tori smiled and leaned over, bringing Jade into another hug. She nudged into her neck a little, feeling at home breathing in Jade's scent. She pulled back just slightly, planting a soft kiss on Jade's cheek. Jade sucked in a deep breath but didn't move, and Tori smiled as she got out of the car. She walked around the driver's side and stuck her head in the window, looking Jade square in the eye.

"Call me, yeah?"

"Y-Yeah" Jade stuttered, fumbling the keys whilst trying to restart the engine.

Tori turned around and giggled to herself as she headed for the front door, shaking her hips very pointedly for the woman she knew was watching.

**A/N: I used this chapter as a character building piece. The next chapter will have a little of the same for Tori before some big things happen at the end. (!) I hope everyone feels comfortable knowing Jade a little more now, and I hope I did okay rounding her out a bit. I don't want anyone to feel like things just happen to these people, I want you to feel what they're feeling because the characters are fleshed out and you can maybe identify a bit. Let me know what you think with the development. And as always, thanks for reading.**


	10. The Slowest Way of Saying So Little

Jade sat in her car in shock, forgetting how to breathe, much less drive. After a minute that seemed like ten she got the car started and put it in reverse, still staring towards the door Tori had disappeared through. She eventually tore her eyes away and started driving, trying to think of what her next move would be. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she reached for it to check the message at a red light.

Beck's name showed up on the screen, which peaked Jade's interest since he was supposed to be off somewhere with Jennifer. She opened the message and read it quickly before the light changed.

_Hey Jade, wanna get together for a bit? We haven't hung out in a while. -Beck_

She read the message twice to make sure she didn't read it wrong, then pulled into a 7/11 so she could answer.

_Uh, sure. I'll be home in about five minutes if you want to stop by._

Jade got back out on to the road and drove the rest of the way home, curious as to why Beck would text her out of the blue, wanting to hang out. He had a new girlfriend in Jennifer, and even though he and Jade had a moment, they still weren't really talking much. She figured maybe he wanted to change that and that was the reason he called, so maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it a shot and see what happened.

She pulled into her driveway and got out, heading in the house through the back door which led straight into the kitchen and therefore was closer to her room. She traversed the narrow hallway to her room slowly, stopping to look at all of the photos that lined the dark walls. A lot of the photos were similar to the ones she had shown Tori from her shoebox, of her family when she was younger. She found a particular photo of when she was in a play in third grade. She sang in front of a crowd for the first time that night, and, realizing how great it felt, decided that she wanted to be on stage in some way for the rest of her life.  
The blinds were drawn in her room and the darkness looked inviting. Jade hadn't gotten a lot of great sleep since she'd been thinking of Tori and taking trips down memory lane. As soon as she walked into the room and set her bag down, intent on laying in her bed for just a few minutes, her phone rang.

"Hey, I'm here. Do you want me to come in or do you want to go somewhere or something?"

"Well, I could use some coffee. I'll meet you outside in a minute."

She hung up the phone and turned around, heading back for the side door. Beck usually used that entrance when he came over, since he liked to sneak in when Jade's parents were sleeping and that door allowed the shortest route to her bedroom. Sure enough when Jade stepped up to the door, Beck was waiting on the other side. He looked sort of anxious and was bobbing from side to side on the balls of his feet. She wasn't sure what to make of it, so she just charged head on.

"Hey Beck, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Don't be like that, Jade. We're still friends aren't we?"

"Yeah, I think so. I just figured you would be out and about with Jennifer on a surprise day off."

"Yeah well we might have had the day off, Jennifer on the other hand did not."

"Then what were you guys doing earlier when Tori called? Quickie in the office bathroom?"

Beck frowned at Jade, but even so a hint of a smile played at the edge of his mouth. "Yes Jade, I woke up this morning with the sole purpose of getting dressed and going to my new friend's place of employment to have sex with her in the facilities."

Jade smiled. "Friend, huh? Haven't been man enough to move it along yet?"

Beck shook his head and started walking away, and Jade laughed to herself as she followed.

They walked side by side to the familiar coffee shop. Beck knew all the little shortcuts to take from going there for Jade so often when they were together. The sun had come out, but there was still a chilly wind that bit at bare skin. The neighborhood was pretty dead since most people were working, and the kids who were at out of school were probably playing video games or catching up on sleep. The few trees around were losing their leaves, bringing a little color to the patches of green along the roadside.

"So, why the brakes with Jennifer?"

"Really Jade? We can't talk about something else?"

"I'm just curious. We got on pretty quick, is she not as good as me or something?"

Beck just laughed under his breath.

"Seriously, what's the deal?"

"She's...she's somethin', that's for sure."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Not really, we just don't really have a lot of small stuff in common."

"What, she doesn't like brushing her hair in front of the mirror for hours? I thought girls like her loved that sort of stuff."

"Oh that's rich. Real accurate, Morticia." Beck roped his arm around Jade's neck and put her in a light headlock, and Jade laughed loudly.

The coffee window was empty aside from the worker, so Jade and Beck strode right up to order. Beck got a hot chocolate and Jade got her usual Hazelnut coffee. They snapped lids on the tops of the cups and headed opposite of where they came, towards a park different than the one down the road from Jade's house. They passed a woman walking a tiny lapdog with a pink leash, which the dog seemed to have a particular distaste for. It chewed at the leash hard while its master yelled at someone on the phone about an appointment to fix a clogged drain, and Jade couldn't help but laugh at the image of the dog breaking free and running away forever.

They headed towards the fountain in the middle of the cement area at the front of park, and Jade tossed some pennies and a few silvers into the water. Beck put one foot up on the lip and leaned into it, putting his elbow on his knee and resting his chin on his palm. They stood and listened to the water for a few minutes, feeling comfortable in the silence

Beck was about to sip his hot chocolate when a soccer ball came flying from somewhere next to them and hit the cup, knocking the top off and scalding his hand before he dropped it. The hot liquid went everywhere, splashing up onto his pants and Jade's boots. Jade was instantly irate, pounding feet in the direction of where the ball came from. Beck was reaching in to the fountain to cool the burn on his arm and hand, so it was too late by the time he'd realized Jade had gone.

The group of kids responsible divided, some of them stayed planted while others took off running in different directions. Jade went up to the kid closest to her and stood towering in front of him, a look of haughty disdain on her face. Beck jogged over as quickly as he could but was too late to stop Jade's assault on the small people.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"Jade, it's alright." Beck put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down but she shrugged it off.

"Seriously. You have all that space out there in the grass to play your stupid game, why would kick that thing right here?"

"Chill out lady, you're not my mom."

"Yeah, I suppose not. Can you point out which lady is your mom?"

"Jade..." Beck took a deep breath and put his hands in his pockets. He knew Jade well enough to know she wasn't going to let this go.

The little kid pointed to a group of women sitting on a bench about a fifty feet away. They were all laughing and gossiping over something Jade couldn't hear, but it was apparent they weren't paying attention to their children. Jade walked over to the women with purpose, covering the space in only seconds.

"When you hens are done cackling, can you tell me why you're not paying attention to your demon spawn?"

The women all stopped and turned to Jade, their smiles turning to frowns when they saw the bright blue-eyed goth standing threateningly close to them. The woman one from the end on the bench raised an eyebrow, eyeing Jade up and down. She scoffed audibly, turning back to the bag on the ground between her feet. Jade stepped forward and grabbed the bag, throwing it a few feet behind her. The woman stood up and made to yell in protest, but Jade stepped forward again, coming face to face with the woman.

"Who do you think you are little girl?"

"I'm the one that's going to throw your child into that fountain for hurting my friend, and probably you too for not watching your child in public."

"If Grayson did something to hurt you I apologize, but you have no right storming up to us like this."

"Do your job as a parent and I wouldn't have to storm up to you at all."

Beck stepped forward and grabbed Jade's wrist.

"Jade, I'm okay. The kids took the ball out to the field, it's fine. Let's leave these people alone and find somewhere to go."

"Whatever." Jade turned towards Beck and went to step, then stopped, looking back at the woman. "That sweater makes you look frumpy."

The woman made a face but didn't say anything. One of the other women on the bench shook her head, eyes down on her sewing project. "Some people's kids."

Jade heard the muttering and threw her head back in laughter, trying to turn back, but Beck had a grip on her this time. "We're leaving Jade, it's not worth it."

"Fine. Just get me out of here now before I ruin someone's day."

The walk back to Jade's was quick due to her angered mood. Rounding the last corner, Beck grabbed Jade's arm to slow her down.

"Jade, what's the matter with you? You seem...wound up or something."

"That little bastard hurt you, and his mother is an idiot."

"It's not that, it's something else. You usually don't get that confrontational unless something's been going on. So what is it?"

"Nothing Beck, you're not Dr. Phil."

"Jade."

"I've been working on...myself lately. Trying to be a better person and all that."

"Oh really? Jade West as a nice girl? I'd pay to see that."

"Har har."

The two of them stopped by Beck's car in the driveway, and Beck leaned against the driver's side door. "Really though, what prompted such drastic measures from Miss Blackheart herself?"

Jade smiled and punched Beck's arm, but the smile quickly faltered into nervousness. "Well, to be honest...Tori did."

Beck went to say something then suddenly stopped, mouth open in a dumb stare. Everything had come crashing into him all at once. The kiss at the premiere, asking Tori if it was as good as before, Jade being on edge and constantly asking about Jennifer. All the time Jade and Tori had spent together. He realized what he had missed, and it made him smile. He looked at Jade who had been biting her nails and tapping her foot, and walked forward to bring her into a hug.

"I get it."

"What do you get?" Jade asked, talking into Beck's shoulder.

"You like Tori."

Jade stepped back and looked Beck in the eyes, the look of fear on her face as plain as day.

"It's okay Jade, I won't say anything to anyone. I think it's a good thing. She's good for you."

"At least I think I like her. I don't know. I don't think she'd want me anyway." Jade buried her head back into Beck's shoulder and stood there for a long moment.

"I think you'd be surprised."

Jade laughed into Beck's arm. "Always the optimist."

The moment went on for another minute, then Beck brought up his wrist to check his watch.

"Alright, I should head back to my place. My parents want me to have dinner with them."

"Thanks for hanging out."

"Anytime." Beck nudged Jade's jaw with his hand in a mock punch, and they both smiled.

Jade watched Beck get in the car and drive away, still standing in the same spot. She had a renewed sense of self worth thanks to her best friend, and decided to use it to her advantage. She took her phone out of her pocket and opened a new text message to Tori.

_Hey lady, just wanted to say thanks again for coming with me this morning. I had fun._

After sending the message Jade headed inside, content with just grabbing something to eat and hanging out in her room til she fell asleep.

Tori was relieved to find the house empty when she walked in. Her mom was at work and Trina must have been off who knows where, but as long as she wasn't home Tori didn't care. She took her shoes off by the door and headed up stairs to change into some old clothes she didn't mind getting stained. Afterward, she headed down to the living room to start cleaning there. The pillows on the couches were all flat and needed to be fluffed up, so she started with that, moving on to dusting the coffee table and getting out the vacuum.

As she moved the couch cushions to flip them, Tori heard something fall and hit the edge of the table leg. She placed the cushion back where it went and investigated the source of the noise, finding a man's watch on the floor. She knew what her dad's looked like since she and Trina had gotten together and bought it for him for his birthday a couple years before, and the watch she found wasn't it. Surmising the watch belonged to Andrew, Tori put it on the kitchen counter and tried to think about something else.

Not long after she started she moved into the kitchen, knocking out the dishes in the sink and starting the dishwasher, then sweeping and mopping real quick. The counters got hit with some disinfectant as did the kitchen table, followed by window washing and shoe straightening. Once the bottom floor was done, Tori grabbed her arsenal of cleaning weapons and headed upstairs.

She hit the guest bathroom first, which wasn't too bad as it didn't get used a whole lot. Next was her bedroom and her own bathroom, which needed some immediate TLC after the beating she had put it through over the last week. She tackled the bedroom first, gathering all the loose clothing and putting it in the laundry basket, then made her bed. The rest of the room wasn't too bad, a little dusting and a quick sweep with the vacuum finished it off. Eventually she dug into her bathroom again, cleaning it up spotless and heading for the shower.

She showered quick and got dressed again, putting on some comfy house clothes as she had no plans to leave again. The feeling of a clean room was relaxing, and Tori decided to turn on the TV and see what she had been missing. After finding some show about football and the town the people lived in, she grabbed the blowdryer and straightener, as she figured it would be easier that way to pull her hair back and tuck it up for the skit the next afternoon.

Once she finished the call of her bed took precedent, so she laid down and tried to concentrate on the show, but ended up dozing off for a bit. An hour or so later, Tori was awoken by her ringtone coming from the desk, so she slipped out of bed to see who it was.

"Hey mom."

"Hey sweetie I'm gonna be late tonight, so you can order pizza if you want, my credit card is in the top drawer of my dresser."

"That's okay mom I can just find something here."

"Okay honey I'll be home as soon as I can, love you."

"Love you too."

Awake, Tori headed downstairs to see about eating something. She got to the end of the stairs and saw Trina on the couch with a boy, and when they heard her coming the boy got up, making Trina angry. Tori didn't know who he was, and it was pretty clear from his facial expression that he wasn't aware other people lived in the house. Trina sighed and gave Tori a dirty look.

"Hello to you too, Trina."

"Why are you here?"

"...Because I live here?"

"Well you should make your presence known."

"I was sleeping. My car is in the driveway and my shoes are right there by the door."

"Whatever."

Trina grabbed the boy by the wrist and dragged him upstairs to her room. Tori shook her head and walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge to survey for something tasty. She grabbed a string cheese and a pizza lunchable, heading over to the couch opposite of the one Trina and he friend were on. She turned the TV on to the Pop music channel and listened to music while she ate.

Tori got up from the couch and went to dispose of her trash, pulling her vibrating phone out of her pocket on the way. She had received a text message from Jade. A fluttering in stomach caught her off guard as she realized the new message excited her, and she opened it immediately. The words almost seemed alive as she read them over and over, clinging to them as a lifeline to the girl she was newly friends with. Her stomach felt like it had a mind of its own, contracting and tickling with the feel of butterflies.

The message warranted a reply, so Tori hit the necessary buttons to bring up the reply screen, stopping for a minute to think of the perfect thing to write. She didn't want to sound too eager, but she also wanted Jade to know that it meant something to her.

Of course, I really enjoyed getting intimate with you today. I think I like the other sides of you, so anytime you want to show me again, I'll be there. -Tori

She smiled wide as she pressed send, hoping it would drive Jade crazy when she read it. After the message successfully sent, Tori made to head back up to her room when her mom came in through the front door. She was holding her briefcase in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. Tori grabbed the flowers and walked them to the kitchen, laying them on the counter while she grabbed a vase from the bottom cupboard under the silverware.

"Who are these from?"

"Your dad, actually."

Tori smiled and filled up the vase, slipping the flowers in and looking for a card.

"The card's in my briefcase if that's what you're looking for."

"I was just wondering what the old man had to say after all these years."

Tori's mom laughed. "He's still the same guy, that's for sure." She grabbed the card out of the briefcase and handed it to Tori, who scanned it quickly.

_Holly,_

_These are for you. Hope they can brighten_

_up your day. I know the end of the week_

_gets a little hectic for you, and roses are_

_your favorite._

_-David_

"Aww that's sweet."

"Yeah, your dad always knew how to get me to stop being mad at him. Or, well, how to try at least."

Tori laughed. "So how is that? You guys talk at all?"

"We're considering our options, yeah."

Tori noticed the watch on the counter after she set the flowers down. She picked it up and hesitated for a second, then handed it to her mom. "I found this when I cleaned up today."

"Oh." Her mom took the watch and dropped it into her pocket, not making eye contact. "Well, situations can be complicated sometimes-"

"Mom I'm your daughter, you don't have to explain anything to me."

"I know boo but I feel like it's not fair to leave you completely in the dark."

"It doesn't really matter to me at the end of the day who you end up with. Sure I'd like you to be with dad, but if that doesn't happen, it's okay with me as long as you're happy."

Tori's mom wrapped her up in a big hug and kissed her on top of the head. "And that's why you're my favorite daughter. But don't tell Trina, she'll have a fit."

Tori laughed and stepped around the corner of the counter. "She's got a boy up in her room at the moment, so tread carefully if you go that way."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I'm gonna head up and probably go to bed early after a little TV, got the big skit tomorrow."

"Good luck honey, wish I could be there."

"I know, thanks. Love you."

"Love you too."

The next day Jade woke up early, around five fifteen am. She had jitters about the skit, which was very unusual for her. She knew it was because she was doing the scene with Tori, and there was really no good way to calm herself down. A long hot shower would probably do a bit of good to start off with, and that's what Jade decided on. A quick check of her phone and she would head straight to the bathroom, but as soon as she saw the text message from Tori, all scheduling went out the window.

Jade stared at the word "intimate," mulling over what she really meant in her head. Was there a double-sided meaning to it? Or was Tori just being genuinely nice? Jade couldn't really tell what was innocent anymore, since her thoughts of Tori as of late were hardly innocent. She set the phone down and went for the shower, determined to get her head on straight.

Jade felt refreshed afterward, grabbing the curling iron and taking it into her room. She turned the TV on to catch the news while she curled her hair, choosing to doll herself up a bit for Tori. If the slender beauty wanted to play games, Jade would play right back. She was never one to turn down a competition, afterall. Jade curled long ringlets down her hair and braided a medium-sized chunk to hang along side her cheek. Continuing with a light foundation and a dark purple/pink eyeshadow, she thought she actually looked pretty nice. The finishing touches were a little eyeliner and a light pink lip liner to add body and drive Tori crazy.

She finished getting dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans that hugged her hips close, a long sleeved black shirt with a matching black shawl and slim black boots. She grabbed her phone and keys and headed downstairs, planning on eating something small before heading to school.

Her dad was in the kitchen already, pouring coffee into a thermos as he watched the news. Jade decided on a bagel, grabbing one off of the top of the fridge and returning the package. She placed the bagel in the toaster and pushed the lever down, turning to lean against the counter as she waited.

"Hey kid."

"Yeah."

Her dad laughed. "See you still have those morning genes in you."

"It's delightful."

"You have your skit thing today right?"

"Yeah." Jade's bagel popped up and she grabbed cream cheese out of the fridge.

"Alright, I'll be there. Three you said?"

"Sure, something like that."

"Okay then, I'll see ya later. Gotta head in a bit early today."

"Alright, Bye."

Jade ate quickly and grabbed her stuff, seeing no reason to hang around the house. She drove leisurely to school, listening to Deftones in the car on the way in to set a mood for the day. Arriving early enough to get a parking spot towards the front, she parked and hung out for a few more minutes, waiting for the current song to end before she got out.

The halls were practically empty, so Jade decided to use the time to clean some stuff out of her locker. She threw away some old notes and stuff that she didn't need anymore, clearing a decent sized spot at the bottom. Walt the custodian came out of the janitor's closet, and he smiled when he saw Jade.

"Hey there kiddo, how are ya?"

"I'm good Walt, takin' care of that knee?"

"You betcha. The misses has all my bases covered."

"I'm glad you have someone to take care of you at home, you probably wouldn't get anything done otherwise."

The custodian laughed and the skin around his eyes wrinkled. "That's one thing that never gets old Miss West, keep tellin' it like it is."

"Always." Jade smiled back and closed her locker, giving Walt a friendly pat on the shoulder as she passed.

Cat came in through the front door a minute or so later, and Robbie and Andre followed behind her, discussing some video they had seen on The Slap. Beck hovered by the door talking to Jennifer, then she kissed him on the cheek and left. Beck looked sheepish as he came through the door and saw Jade watching, but quickly regained his composure. The five of them stood in the entryway by the stairs and talked for a few minutes before Tori came in and promptly dropped everything she was holding.

Jade smiled, hoping that it really was her affect on Tori that made her drop her stuff. Beck walked over and helped her pick it up, and Tori looked more flustered by the second. Jade checked Tori out as she bent over to pick up her stuff, careful to look away before she got caught. Tori walked over and put her stuff in her locker, then came back to the group, standing just out of arm's reach from Jade and keeping her eyes averted.

"This is the big day, huh?" Andre asked, facing Jade.

"Yeah I'm _so _excited." Andre smirked at her dripping sarcasm, and Tori walked away towards her first class. Jade instantly got worried that maybe she laid it on a little too thick, knowing Tori could be sensitive. "Alright, time to get to class I guess."

Everyone waved and parted ways, Rex muttering something about the 'wicked witch of Hollywood Arts' behind Jade's back.

The first few classes were quick, and Jade just coasted through them in her head. She was worried about having made Tori upset first thing in the morning, and how it might affect their skit after school. But most of all, she was worried that she had tainted the progress she'd made with her. Jade didn't want Tori thinking that she was back to her old self, being a grump at school like she used to, and the worry was giving her a headache.

The last bell of the morning rang and Jade headed to lunch, stopping to grab money from her locker before hitting the Grub Truck. She bought a burrito and a bottle of water then headed to Sikowitz' class, finding Beck, Tori and Cat already there in conversation about something on Cat's PearPad.

Tori passed out watching some made for TV movie about a girl who was killed by someone who was supposed to be her friend, after which said friend moved in to the dead girl's house to live with her mom and help her cope. She woke up the next morning still a little tired since the movie gave her odd dreams. A shower was definitely in order to wake up a bit, and she did so immediately.

She chose a white long sleeve shirt with a tan colored short jacket over top, light blue skinny jeans and some brown knee-high boots. Her favorite blue feathered earrings and some light blue eyeshadow finished the outfit off, with a thin layer of strawberry lip gloss. She grabbed her bag and put her phone in her pocket, then swiped her keys up and headed downstairs.

It was about twenty minutes before school would start, so Tori didn't bother grabbing something to eat. She rushed to school and parked, hurrying inside so she wouldn't be late for her first class. As she went through the front door, her eyes landed first thing on Jade. The radiant beauty of the pale skinned goddess she knew to be Jade hit her like a brick wall, and she dropped her bag and keys on the floor. Panicking a little, she bent down to grab them, Beck helping grab some papers that had slid out of the bag.

Tori stood still, not looking anyone in the eye as she tried excruciatingly hard not to stare at jade. She heard Andre ask about the skit, and she turned to look at Jade out of the corner of her eye, anxious to hear what she had to say. When Jade sounded overly lackluster about the whole thing, Tori's spirit dropped a little, thinking maybe Jade had crawled back into her shell. She couldn't let that thought seep into her brain after only being in the building for not even five minutes, so she took off for her R&B Vocals class.

The first hour seemed to drag. She sang a verse from "My All" by Mariah Carey to much applause from Andre and the rest of the class. This seemed to raise her spirits a little, and she felt a little better going into her Pop Music class. Once she got into the rhythm of the day, the classes sped up a little, and before she knew it the bell for lunch time was ringing.

Feeling ravenous from not having any breakfast, Tori hurried to the Grub Truck and grabbed a slice of pizza, heading back to her normal spot in Sikowitz' room. Beck and Cat were there watching something on Cat's PearPad, so she sat next to Cat to see what was going on. Someone had posted a video of their cat trying to get into a small box, but it's butt got stuck and it was kicking its little legs. They all laughed as Jade walked in, and Tori instantly got nervous again.

"What's going on after your guys' skit this afternoon?" Beck handed the PearPad back to Cat.

"Not sure really. Why?" Jade took a small bite of her burrito, glancing over at Tori as she chewed.

"I heard about a party from Jennifer. Gonna be some North Ridge people, some college people, and she said I could bring some friends."

"Sounds exciting" Jade commented, not actually sounding excited.

"Come on Jade, have some fun for once."

"Yeah the last time I drank went _really _well."

Jade saw Tori clasp her hands together and look down at the floor.

"You don't have to drink if you don't want to, Jade. Just come out, dance, have a good time."

"It might be fun" Tori piped up to Jade's surprise, chewing on the side of her bottom lip.

"Well, I guess if Vega's in I'm in."

Beck smiled at Jade and Jade looked down at her food, knowing instantly what was going through his head.

"Yay! This is gonna be so fun" Cat added, her enthusiasm making everyone smile.

They finished lunch while they discussed plans about driving and who would go with whom. The bell rang and they each got up to throw their trash away, turning to the door to head to their respective classes. Jade waited for Tori to catch up, walking side by side with her to Screenwriting. Tori looked nervous, but Jade smiled and bumped her shoulder into Tori's, which made both of them laugh a little.

Their teacher was already waiting in the class when everyone filed in and sat down. Tori was first to take her seat so she had a nice view of Jade taking hers, by which something told her that Jade planned it that way. Jade put her legs together and swung her hips gracefully, leaning forward on to the desk as she bent to sit. Tori smiled wide but wiped it off in a second before Jade looked back, pretending she hadn't seen.

The lesson plan for the day was open, giving everyone a chance to pair up with their partner and continue going over their skit. There wasn't a whole lot of opportunity to practice since there were a lot of people in a small area, and it would be too loud, but it was good to just get together and make up some notes on costumes or dialogue. Tori had her fake mustache in her locker, ready to go for the afternoon. Tori and Jade decided to spend the time planning some dialogue for the scene until the bell rang.

Sikowitz had them do an improv scene where Cat was a "woman of the night," and Beck was a potential "assailant." Robbie was a police officer that arrived too late to the scene, and Andre and Tori were a couple that witnessed the crime. Jade was the coroner, naturally, and seemed to revel in the fake crime scene. Sikowitz commended their attention to detail, especially Jade, since her knowledge of crime scene slang was extensive due to her movie collection.

The rest of the class was spent talking about improvising lines in a dramatic scene. The difference between comedy and drama was improvising the wrong words in a comedy can be particularly humorous and easy to roll with, while improvising the wrong words in a drama can kill the mood and make everyone have to get back into character and start over. Everyone took a few notes, and the bell ended the class.

Study Hall was quick and boring. No one had any homework, so they just checked The Slap on their phones and PearPads and talked to each other about whatever. Typically schools don't condone talking in study hall, but Hollywood Arts encouraged students to constantly express themselves in any way whenever they could, so a lot of students used the time to test out play ideas or get criticism on their technique. The group discussed the party that night and what could possibly happen until about two fifteen, then Tori and Jade used the last fifteen minutes before the bell to start preparing for the skit.

The group split ways on promises of phone calls while Tori and Jade made their way back to the Screenwriting room, anxious to get the scene done so they could go. Both girls were nervous, and Tori couldn't stop staring at Jade. She was afraid that when the moment came she would get lost in the beautiful girl and forget her lines, or maybe she wouldn't be able to articulate at all. Tori tapped her foot as she stood against the wall next to the door in the hallway, and Jade walked over to stand in front of her.

"You okay, Vega?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. Still not as used to the whole performing thing as you are, though."

"Understandable, I've been comfortable with it since I was a kid. You just started, so there's no reason to feel crappy about being nervous." Jade placed her right hand on Tori's left hip, rubbing small circles on Tori's stomach with her thumb. Tori inhaled sharply and her body stiffened at the touch, making Jade retract her hand quickly like she touched something hot. As soon as Jade brought her hand back Tori half reached for it, not wanting her to let go. At that moment the teacher rounded the corner and both girls took a step away from each other, hands in their pockets.

"Alright ladies give me twenty minutes or so to get a few things out of the way and then we'll start. Do you know where Patterson is?"

"Haven't seen him" Jade answered, and Tori shook her head no.

"Alright well keep an eye out."

Tori decided to walk the halls a little bit and look for Jake, Jade trailing by her side. The hallways were plastered with flyers of local bands playing gigs, plays at various theaters and charity events. Multicolored paper covered every square inch of the central bulletin board, which was so cluttered that people had started to pin their flyers over existing ones. Tori looked it over and saw a few local shows that might be interesting, noting down some websites on her phone.

Jake came jogging down the hallway a few minutes later, stopping to catch his breath when he caught the girls. He held up a finger in wait, took a drink of water and composed himself.

"Sorry guys, I had to run and get-"

"Don't care" Jade interrupted, turning to walk back towards the Screenwriting room.

"Hi Jake" Tori smiled, making up for Jade's rudeness.

They arrived back at the room and their teacher was finishing up putting some papers into a filing cabinet. She turned and looked at them as they entered the room, Jade sitting her bag on the desk closest to the door and Tori sitting hers on the one next to it. The teacher, who Jade had learned from Walt was named Janelle, grabbed a notebook and pen and sat in the back of the room, opening to a clean page and uncapping the writing utensil.

"You can move some desks out of the way and get started whenever you're ready."

Jake helped Tori move a few desks on the left while Jade slid a few back on the right, making an opening at the front of the classroom for them to move around. Jake sat a few rows back from them with a sheet of paper and pen of his own, ready to take notes on the girls' interpretation of his piece. Tori grabbed the fake mustache from her bag and put it on, and Jade cleared her throat, closing her eyes for a few minutes to center herself. Tori flipped through her notes from class she had taken earlier when Jade's parents knocked and walked into the room, garnering a curious glance from Janelle.

""Excuse me, this is a private session. Can I help you?"

"We're Mr. and Mrs. West, Jade's parents."

"Oh, welcome. I didn't expect any parents to show up."

"I invited them, they don't get a lot of opportunities to see me act because of conflicting schedules."

"I also invited my parents. My dad will be here but my mom can't make it." Tori added, looking towards the door to see if she could spot him.

"Okay, that's fine. Continue when you're ready."

Jade took a deep breath and sat down in the chair she'd set up, nodding the go-ahead to Tori. Tori opened and closed the imaginary door from last time.

"Hey there Sarge" Jade greeted once again as Mrs. Maria Miller.

"Ma'am" Tori took off and held her imaginary hat, responding with familiarity as Staff Sargent Nicholas Dobschensky of the United States Marine Corps. "I came to thank you for the care package you sent me. That was very kind of you."

"Well you are welcome. I know how crazy your schedule can get with new recruits coming in, so I figured you didn't have time to pick up anything."

"That's correct, I have been very busy lately."

"You don't come by like you used to Nick, I miss having you around."

Tori could barely make eye contact with Jade. She could swear she saw sparks behind her eyes the way they glowed so bright, shining in their element. Jade's face was serious, in character. She looked at Tori with a fierceness that only passion for your trade can bring out, and Tori felt weak at the knees.

"Things have been kind of...confusing for me lately, Maria." Tori pulled out her chair as before and sat at the imaginary coffee table. "I mean, it's been a year now. I know that's not very long, but I thought we had a good thing goin' here. We like each other, right?" Tori looked Jade right in the eyes once more as she spoke.

Jade's heart was hammering in her chest even harder than before. She stole glances at her parents out of the corner of her eye, and they seemed to be paying pretty close attention to what was going on, which only served to heighten her nervousness. "Yes we do, but you just remind me so much of him that it's hard to close out that part of my life when I see him in you."

"This back and forth thing can't go on Maria." Tori stood up and paced back and forth in front of the chalk board, watching Jake and Janelle scribble notes as she moved. "It's tearin' me up inside. I'm losing concentration at work. The men can see it in me. I don't want their trust to waver because they think I'm not at the top of my game. And right now, I'm not at the top of my game."

Jade stole one last glance at her parents and took a deep breath, standing up from the table. "I know you don't deserve this Nick" she mused, walking over and putting her hands on Tori's shoulders. This time the electricity of contact with Tori surged straight down her spine, causing Jade to stutter a bit and stifle a silent moan. "I'm trying the best I can to work myself out and be a better person for you. I can't change in a day, but I'm sure as hell trying." Jade put everyone ounce she had into the last part of the sentence, really selling herself to Tori in that moment.

Tori seemed unsteady on her feet, and when she turned to face Jade, her eyes were wide and her breath was short. "I know you're trying, and I'm trying to give you as much time as I can, but it still hurts."

Jade was instantly transported back to the practice session where she had stepped forward and stolen a kiss from Tori in her bedroom. She looked the shy but centered girl directly in her caramely-brown eyes, and put her hands on her hips. Tori swallowed hard, eyes dancing rapidly from Jade's electric blues to her pouty pink lips. Jade leaned forward ever so slightly and pressed her lips on Tori's, breathing in the vanilla and strawberry scent between them.

The moment escalated quickly. Tori pulled Jade forward and kissed her back, the fervor that was missing from last time gained in spades. She reached her arms up and slid one around Jade's neck, slipping the other hand into her hair. Jade wrapped her arms the rest of the way around Tori and squeezed her in, fighting the urge to dig her nails into Tori's back. Tori landed two small pecks before Jade went for broke, parting her lips just slightly enough to brush her tongue over Tori's bottom lip.

Tori let out a breath, and since her mouth was open, it squeaked out as a tiny moan, which made her freeze in place. Her and Jade both opened their eyes at the same time, lips still pressed together, both too afraid to do anything in that moment. Jade stepped back a couple inches, keeping her hands around Tori's waist.

"I...love you." She paused for a minute as she stared into Tori's eyes, quickly adding Nicholas Dobschensky on the end of her line, hoping no one would notice her slip-up.

"I l-love you, too" Tori added, not breaking eye contact with Jade as the words came out.

Tori stepped back and turned to face the room since the scene was over. She noticed that her dad had entered the room at some point, still in his police uniform, and was sitting in a desk with his eyebrows raised, a half-amused smile on his face. Tori blushed harder than she ever had in her life, and had to fight the strongest urge to run and bury herself under blankets she'd ever had. Her dad nodded his head for a second, then started clapping, his smile spreading the rest of the way across his face.

Jade finally snapped out of the moment and turned to face the rest as well, noticing with a swift kick to the gut that her parents were gone. She instantly felt hot all over, like she was going to be sick. Her eyes burned and tears threatened, so she sucked in a hard breath and bit her tongue, saving the emotion for later.

Jake's jaw was still on the floor, and Tori's dad whistled with his teeth, snapping the kid back to attention. He blushed red and wrote down some more notes, clapping when he was done. "Awesome job guys, couldn't have been any more picture perfect than I saw it in my own head. The improvising at the end was nice."

Janelle looked at Jake when he said the last part, flipping through his script to the scene the two women had just acted out. She realized indeed that the 'I love you' bit wasn't actually in that scene, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. Jade couldn't tell if she was trying to guess if they were lesbians or if they were just really devoted to the scene, and she didn't particularly care at that moment.

Jade looked over at Tori, who seemed to have her eyes glued to the floor. Her dad had gotten up to go meet Janelle, so Jade took the opportunity to make sure she was okay.

"You alright, Tor?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Some scene that was Vega, you were a hit."

"Me? You should have seen yourself, I was so starstruck for a minute I thought I was gonna faint."

Jade smiled hard. "You should have seen _your_self, you pretty much forced me to confess my love for you in front of our parents and teacher."

Tori's heart felt like it was going to explode. "So that was...you? And not Maria?"

Jade felt like what she thought dying of heat stroke would be like. Her whole body burned and her mouth was so dry she could barely swallow. She nodded her head and squeaked out a "yes" before closing her mouth in fear of throwing up. Tori was shaking so hard Jade could see it.

"I thought I was the only one" Tori replied, huffing out a laugh that was riding the line between a giggle and hysterics.

Jade walked forward and brought Tori into a bone-crushing hug. They stood there for a minute, letting it all sink in, before Tori heard the jingling of her dad's handcuffs. The hug broke apart, but they both kept their eyes on each other, desperate for some time alone to work all of their feelings out.

"That was great, kid."

"Thanks dad."

"What happened to your folks there, Jade?"

"They're probably at home writing me out of their will and trying to find some way to get me out of the house."

Tori's smile disappeared completely and was replaced with a look of fear.

"Why would they do that?" her dad asked, roping one arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"They don't want me pursuing acting or writing as a career, and I'm very sure being gay or bisexual or whatever on top of that is making them super happy right now."

"A good parent loves their child no matter what, remember that Jade."

"Thanks Mr. Vega. I'm just glad you're here for Tori."

"Me too." He looked down at his daughter and smiled. "I'm proud of you. Both of you." He extended an arm out for Jade who smiled bashfully and walked into it, and he squeezed them both in. "Come to dinner with us Jade, I'm sure Tori would like that."

"Yeah Jade, please?"

Jade was in awe at the pure love in the room. The blind acceptance Tori's dad had for his daughter was something Jade couldn't understand, but it was beautiful. She was sure Tori had never mentioned a single thing in her life to either of her parents about being attracted to girls, and her dad just happened to watch her passionately kiss one and confess her love. Instead of questioning, he brought both girls in for a hug and offered to buy dinner on a congratulatory job well done. Jade just looked at them both in amazement, not sure words could really describe how she felt.

"Sure, I'll go."

Tori smiled and squeezed Jade's hand, excited to begin the learning process.

**A/N: Well, the beginning of the relationship is here. It's been a bit of a stretch to get here, and I hope everyone's satisfied with where we're at. Your reviews, while getting less in number, have stayed positive and shown me that at least some of you like what you're reading, and I'm glad to bring a little joy to your day. I planned on mentioning the next arc in this chapter but I didn't really have room for it, so it'll be within the first couple pages of the next chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	11. What (We Can Just Make Out)

The disappearance of Jade's parents weighed on her during the car ride to the restaurant. They had finally agreed to come see something related to acting, and ended up walking out. Jade knew in the back of her mind that the idea of her parents showing up and enjoying everything was too good to be true, but it didn't stop her from being upset. She was sitting in the back seat behind Tori, leaning against the window and watching trees fly by as Mr. Vega drove. The sun was shining bright and birds flew overhead, but the serenity wasn't able to incubate.

A red light halted their progress, and Jade watched a couple having an argument with a police officer who had apparently given them a ticket. The woman was standing with her hands on top of her head in frustration while the man, who Jade guessed was her husband, animatedly tried talking the cop out of it. Mr. Vega watched in amusement as the officer tried to calm the man down, and Jade could see his smile in the rear view mirror. Finally the man took the yellow piece of paper and got in his car, admitting defeat at the strong arm of the law.

The light turned green and traffic flowed once more when Jade felt something on her leg. She looked down and noticed Tori's arm reaching back behind the seat, tickling her leg with the tips of her fingers. Jade looked over the right side of the seat to the mirror on the passenger side of the car, catching a glimpse of a smiling Tori. Reaching down, she took Tori's hand in her own, leaning forward to rest her head on the back of Tori's seat.

They pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and got out, heading inside to a booth by the window. Jade sat on the inside and Tori sat next to her across from her dad. They looked through the menus, Jade deciding on a hamburger almost immediately. A pretty girl in a ponytail came to the table with a pad and pen, introducing herself as Sarah. Tori and Jade both ordered Cokes and Tori's dad ordered a Killian's, rolling his neck back and forth.

"You alright dad? You look sore or something."

"Motel bed's a little stiff. Nothing I can't handle, though."

Tori grimaced on the inside but didn't want it to show, instead she smiled warmly. "Toughest guy I know."

Her dad smiled, glancing up at Sarah as she returned with their drinks. She poured the beer into a frosty mug, setting the bottle to the side and took out her pad and pen. "You guys ready to order?"

Tori's dad squinted his eyes for a second, then folded up his menu and handed it to the server. "Sure, I'll take the nine ounce sirloin with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables."

"Sure thing. How would you like that cooked?"

"Medium well is good."

"Alrighty. And for you miss?" She motioned to Jade.

"I'll have the bacon cheddar cheeseburger with no onions and french fries."

"Well done?"

"Sure."

"And last but not least."

"I'll go with the, uh, spaghetti and meatballs. Does that come with garlic bread?" Tori asked without taking her eyes off the menu.

"Sure does. Anything else I can get you guys? Appetizers, side salad?"

Tori's dad shook his head as he sipped his beer. "I'm all set. Girls?"

"I'll take a side of barbeque sauce" Jade added, and the server wrote it down on her pad.

"Excellent, I'll get that in for you right away." She smiled and turned, headed for the kitchen.

Tori looked out the window and watched the traffic for a few minutes. The restaurant was in a pretty busy area, and the constant flow at the large intersection was mesmerizing. Back at the table, Jade was sitting quietly with her hands in her lap, while Tori's dad watched a TV with football on it. Tori couldn't help but feel her heart break a little while looking at Jade, remembering how her parents had abandoned her at school. She reached over and took one of Jade's hands in her own, holding it tight under the table. Jade looked over and her eyes seemed glossed over, like she was far away, but quickly regained focus when she looked down at their fingers entangled together.

"So what's up at school, kids? Anything exciting going on?" Tori's dad asked with his eyes still on the TV.

"Uh, not much really. We just had the premiere of Sikowitz' new play the other day and the skit." Tori nibbled on the end of her straw.

"Prom is next Friday. This upcoming week is going to be ridiculous." Jade rolled her eyes and looked sick at the thought of girls fawning over which guy they would go with.

Tori's face lit up at the information. "Really? Prom? Where'd you hear that?"

"It was on one of the flyers in hallway."

Tori put her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, looking dreamy. "I wonder if my date will pick me up in a limo."

"Better ask someone quick, all the guys will be snatched up in a day or two at Hollywood Arts." Jade squeezed Tori's hand as she joked.

"So are you guys not a thing?" Tori's dad asked, actually turning to look at them for an answer.

Tori opened her mouth to speak but felt choked up, and no words came out. Jade felt a little insecure in that moment, but Tori squeezed her hand and massaged her thumb.

"Well, not technically, no." Jade replied slowly, glancing at Tori out of her peripheral vision to gauge her reaction. "We really only became actual friends recently, and, well, we're uh, exploring. I guess." Jade felt flustered and took a drink of her pop so she would stop talking, and Tori's dad smiled dumbly at her clumsiness with words.

"Well I just want you to know it's okay with me. If you're happy, I'm happy."

"Thanks dad." Tori smiled and her dad winked at her.

"You see what's going on with me and your mom right now. You don't get a second chance at first love, so remember that as you grow up."

Some idle chat and a little sports action carried them through for a bit until Sarah returned to the table with their entrees, setting them down one by one in front of their respective consumers. Tori's dad looked satisfied with his steak once he cut into it, shaking his head happily. Jade lifted the top bun of her burger and didn't protest. Tori spun some spaghetti around her fork and watched the steam rise, smiling happily.

"Everything okay here? Can't I get you anything else?"

"A1?" Tori's dad asked, cutting his steak into cubes.

"Sure thing. Ladies?"

"I'm all set." Tori answered.

"Same."

"Great. Enjoy. Just flag me down if you need me and I'll be back in a bit."

Everyone dug into their meal, simultaneously mumbling sounds of pleasure mixed with head shaking. Tori's dad was glancing back and forth between two TVs, one showing Football and one showing a Boxing match. Tori laughed at his new pattern. Watch a play of the Football game, look down and eat a steak cube, look back over and watch the fight until the next play of the Football game set up. Jade noticed the pattern as well, and the two ladies watch in amusement as he didn't miss a beat. Sarah swung by and quietly dropped off a bottle of A1 sauce, smiling as she passed.

"Nice dad. If you paid attention to issues like world hunger and drought like you do sports maybe we could up the survival rate in third world countries enough that we'd all die from lack of resources."

Jade laughed loudly and almost dropped her hamburger, surprised at the joke from the usually reserved girl. Tori smiled hugely due to Jade's reaction, since getting her to laugh genuinely was a big feat.

"Sorry honey, things have been crazy lately, just trying to catch up a bit."

"Well isn't that why we're here?" Tori giggled in jest, but her dad took it seriously.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Anything you wanna talk about?"

"I was kidding dad, we don't have to do the whole 'required bonding' thing. I'm just glad you're here."

"And Trina wonders why she's not my favorite."

"You told her that?"

"No, but I wouldn't lie if she asked."

Tori and Jade both laughed, and Jade noticed Tori had spaghetti sauce on the bottom of her lip. She reached over and swiped it onto her finger, holding it up for Tori to see. Tori looked over at her dad, who was faithfully back to watching the game, then grabbed Jade's hand wrapped her lips around Jade's finger, licking the sauce off of the tip.

"Thanks." Tori smiled wickedly, impressed at the shocked look on Jade's face.

Jade had no idea Tori was capable of stuff like that. She was definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing, and Jade couldn't wait to find out just how wild her wild side was. They finished their meals and Sarah came back with the bill, and Tori's dad handed her a card to pay with. She returned shortly after with his card and a receipt for him to sign, and when he did they were off to the car. It had gotten a bit colder since the sun was lowering in the sky, and she shivered a bit in the back seat.

"Thanks for dinner Mr. Vega."

"Anytime, Miss. So where am I taking you?"

"Uh, I should probably go home and see what my parents have to say. Get it over with."

Tori felt pain in her chest. She didn't want Jade to have to be cut down by her parents anymore. "You can come to my house instead. Let them do whatever they want. You can stay in my room."

"Not sure I can allow that. I may not be in the house but I am your father, and I say no boys- or girls- in your room."

Tori and Jade both smiled, but Jade's turned back to a frown.

"Thanks, but I just want to get this thing done. They're gonna yell about something and I don't want to just keep putting it off."

"Alright, I guess I probably would too." Tori hung her head a little at the vision of Jade getting yelled at in her head, but trusted she knew what she was doing.

They all buckled up and kicked back for the ride. Tori found a station that wasn't ESPN radio and lip synced the song that was on, dancing in her seat. Jade was watching her dance in the side mirror, and when Tori glanced down she caught Jade's eyes watching her, smiling but not stopping. The girl had spirit, and Jade couldn't help but fawn over her a little.

A few songs later they'd arrived at Jade's house, and Tori's dad put the car in park. Both Tori and Jade got out of the car, walking up the Jade's front door. Tori hooked her thumbs through her belt loops, swaying side to side. Jade just watched her for a second, not really wanting to leave her side.

"Thanks for bringing me along, I kinda needed it."

"I know."

The understanding in those two words sent Jade straight into Tori's arms, and the two held each other close. Tori played with Jade's hair a bit, and Jade smiled into her shoulder. Sounds from behind them marked Jade's mom opening the front door, staring out at the intertwined women.

"Jade, come inside now."

"Yeah, in a minute."

"Now." Mrs. West slammed the door shut hard.

"I don't want you to go." Tori squeezed Jade even tighter.

"I know, I'll call you as soon as it's over. Promise."

"Okay."

Tori was slow to pull back, dragging her lips across Jade's collar bone as she stood upright, causing Jade to close her eyes and inhale deeply. She smiled at Jade and stepped backward a pace, waiting for Jade to let go of her hands, then turned around to head for the car. Jade watched as she got in and put on her seatbelt, and waved to Mr. Vega as they drove off. The moment of truth. She hoped it wouldn't be so bad, but the only way to find out was to go in.

Mrs. West was in the living room when Jade finally went inside. She looked up as Jade passed into the doorway, setting down her papers and her glasses. "Frank? She's here."

"Great. Do I get a lawyer before we start? I can call Tori's mom."

The mention of Tori's name sparked flames in her mom's eyes, and Jade got a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her dad entered the room and sat down on the couch, motioning for Jade to take the seat next to her mom. When she sat, her dad cleared his throat, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"First of all, I really enjoyed your performance. It was phenomenal."

Jade didn't really know what to say. She swallowed once and nodded lightly.

"I just have one question: What the hell was that ending? There was way more to that than a stage kiss. That wasn't acting."

Jade fidgeted in her seat, then sat up straight, determined to be heard as an equal. "That was me, using my situation to my advantage. I like Tori, and I used the scene as an excuse to plant one on her."

Jade's mom was visibly upset, but her dad looked indifferent. He sipped his drink, making a face as he set it down. Jade stayed quiet, waiting to see what would come of her confession.

"Well, I don't really see what we did to make you hurt us like this."

Jade was instantly pissed, standing up out of her seat. "Are you kidding me? This isn't about you, this is about me."

"Yeah, this is about you trying your damnedest to throw your life away." Jade's mom was seething, she wouldn't even look Jade in the eye.

"Being courageous enough to explore all of my feelings to try to be happy is throwing my life away?"

"Gallivanting around with another woman while you piss away my money at some silly dream school is throwing your life away. You think everything is going to just be peachy, don't you? You'll land a job at a studio out of school, sell a few movie scripts and live comfortably with your girlfriend in a downtown loft while you audition for movie roles and shop the strip?"

"Sounds more to me like you're mad that you never got the chance to do what I'm doing and you're punishing me for it." Jade was so upset she felt like crying, but she hoped to hope that her tears didn't betray her in that moment.

Her dad looked like a deer in headlights, and her mom just looked sick. She wouldn't make eye contact with her husband or Jade, and she was still as a mannequin. A few excruciatingly long moments passed by, then Jade's mom got up and left the room without another word. Her dad finished his drink down in one gulp, rubbing his face with both hands.

"Jade. We love you. We really do. But you're not making this easy."

"This is my life dad, it doesn't have to be easy for you."

"I just hope you know what you're doing."

Mr. West got up and left the room after his wife, and just was left standing in the living room by herself. She was proud of herself for standing up to her parents, but a wave of uncertainty was crashing over her, and it felt a lot like panic. She wasn't sure what would happen now. Her mom might make her move out, stop paying for Hollywood Arts, the possibilities were endless. Jade went down to her bedroom, not sure of what else to do. Her parents were arguing back and forth, but even with the raised voices she couldn't make out what they were saying.

It was too early to go to sleep, but she didn't really feel like going anywhere. A quick check of the room provided minimal results option wise, so Jade decided to just put in a movie and waste time on the internet. She put in The Scissoring for the millionth time and started it from the beginning, laying back on her bed. Seeing the pretty bride in her flowing white wedding gown covered in blood made her smile.

About an hour or so into the movie she checked her email and The Slap, running across a post Tori had made from the restaurant. Jade wasn't sure what her parents were going to do about her liking Tori, but she did know one thing; there was a beautiful, soft, loving, caring, amazing woman only fifteen minutes away that actually cared about her, all of her, and that was all she needed. She turned off the TV and grabbed her phone, intent on seeing her newest source of happiness.

Tori's dad pulled up in the driveway at home. He shut the car off, but when Tori took her seatbelt off he didn't make to get out. The lights in the house were on, and her mom's car was in the garage. She wasn't sure if it was possible for Andrew to be in there or not, so her dad's hesitation to come in turned out to be a good thing.

"Thanks for coming today dad, and for dinner, and for bringing Jade. And for being okay with everything. And for, well, being my dad."

"Anything for my baby girl. You okay with everything? I know that stuff can be hard to fit into for some people."

"Yeah I'm fine. It's new so there's that whole exploration stage before anything serious happens."

"Well don't let your 'exploration' ruin your schoolwork."

"Dad!"

"I'm just messin' with you. Okay, get out of my car."

Tori stared her dad down with her mouth open, and he burst out in laughter. Tori reached over and slapped his shoulder, her stern look faltering into a smile.

"One of these days I'm just gonna tell Trina that you're _dying_ to take her to the mall and buy her things."

"You wouldn't!"

"You better watch yourself or you might find out."

Mr. Vega reached over and wrapped Tori up in a hug, squeezing her shoulders. He ruffled her hair a bit as she sat back and she swatted at his hand, frowning a bit and trying to smooth it back out. Tori got out and walked around to the driver's side to kiss her dad on the cheek, then stood and waited til he was gone.

Inside, Tori's mom was standing in the kitchen eating an apple, still in her work suit. She was poured over an open folder on the counter, reading over some last minute changes to the jury in one of her cases. Tori shut the door and kicked her shoes off, slunking over to the kitchen counter and grabbing a seat on the stool.

"Hey ma."

"Hey kiddo, how'd it go?"

"It was good. Dad and Jade's parents showed up, teacher was impressed I think."

"That's good. Think you'll get a good mark?"

"I know Jake will give us an A, that's for sure." Tori couldn't help but smile.

"Why's that? You do his piece justice or something?"

"Uh..." Tori hesitated for a second, trying to find the best way to transition. "Well, it was a love scene, and Jade and I nailed the kiss at the end."

"Ah, yeah. Boys will be boys."

"Except that, uh, there was no kiss in the script."

Tori's mom raised her eyebrows with her head cocked to one side. "Yeah, I guess I can see how Jake would look at that as going 'above and beyond the call of duty.'"

Tori laughed, but she was still nervous inside. "Jade's parents left when it happened. They don't approve of her choosing acting or writing as a career, and they definitely didn't approve of me. Us. Whatever we are."

"She doesn't have to. Of course it would be nice if she did since parents should support their children no matter what, and Jade will definitely need her parents going down that road."

"What does that mean?"

"Well baby girl, not everyone will be so nice about it. You're liable to meet a lot more Mr. and Mrs. Wests than you are Mr. and Mrs. Vegas."

"I suppose you're right, but it can't hurt to give it a shot, right? I've thought about it for a while and made sure it wasn't just a fleeting thing."

"If you feel it's what you should do, then do it. I'm all for it."

"Thanks mom. Dad is too, it was really nice. He invited Jade to dinner with us."

"That was thoughtful. How is your old man anyway?"

"Same as he ever was, that's for sure." Tori smiled when she thought back to the TVs in the restaurant.

"I never expected anything less. Glad you had a good time today."

"Me too. How was work?"

"We're catching up. A setback today cost me my day off tomorrow, though. One of the witnesses we have is now refusing to testify. We think someone scared her, so we've been going through the jury again and changing up people that could potentially be tied in to the case somehow."

"That's crazy. I hope you get it all figured out."

"Me too, doll. I'm gonna head up and shower, then probably just dive into this stuff so I can maybe get tomorrow night off. You okay with everything? Anything you wanna get out?"

"No, I'm good."

"That's my girl. I'll be up if you need me."

Her mom smiled and grabbed her stuff, heading upstairs to her room.

Tori grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and decided on the same, closing her door behind her. She turned the TV on and left it on the channel it was already on, tossing the remote on the bed. It was about five thirty but it was getting dark earlier now that winter was coming. The sky dusted over with oranges and pinks, clouds hung low and looked heavy. Tori predicted rain the next day, changing into more comfortable clothes.

She laid on her stomach at the end of her bed with her feet up in the air, looking through the channels to find something to watch. Pretty in Pink was on, one of her favorite movies, so she stopped it there and relaxed. Her neck started to get sore, so she turned to grab a pillow from behind her when her phone started buzzing on the desk. It was a text from Jade.

_I'm outside._

Tori's heart fluttered instantly. She ran over to her window and looked outside, and she could barely see the outline of Jade illuminated by the streetlight. Jade was there, and they could finally take some time to try to figure things out. Tori ran downstairs and went outside, walking around the side of the house. Jade was waiting under the window looking up, so Tori snuck up and wrapped her arms around Jade's waist.

"Hey." Tori whispered into Jade's ear, resting her cheek on her shoulder.

Jade covered Tori's hands with her own. "Hi."

"You sound upset."

"Yeah."

Tori grabbed Jade's hand and led her around to the front of the house, heading inside and upstairs back into her room. Jade stood with her arms crossed by the door, unsure of what moves to make. Things were obviously different since they'd sort of declared themselves to each other, and she didn't want to just assume anything. She watched as Tori turned the TV down and set the remote on her desk, then sat on the edge of the bed.

"Come here, sit down." She patted a spot next to her.

Jade did as told, flattening her hands between her knees. "My dad wanted to know why I'm trying to hurt them, and my mom got so mad she ended up leaving the room."

"Jade that's awful, I'm so sorry." She grabbed one of Jade's hands and held it.

"I don't care if they think I'm ruining my life, I've heard all of that before. The only thing I care about is being sent away, and the way my mom acted...what she said..."

"What did she say?"

"She made a comment about me 'pissing away her money' at Hollywood Arts. I'm afraid she's going to try to send me to live with my cousin or something."

"I'm sure she won't go that far." Tori had begun tracing lines up and down Jade's arm with her fingertips.

"They're going to do something. Either tell me I can't hang out with you or make me go live with my cousin or let me stay here and hang out with you but make me go to North Ridge."

Tori didn't like the sound of any of those, but she knew her response immediately. "Jade, if it comes between any of those, you're staying here and going to Hollywood Arts. I know your passion, and I know how important it is to you and y-"

"You're important to me."

Tori stopped in her tracks and looked Jade right in the eye. The two women stared into each other for a few seconds, and Tori knew if she didn't respond soon she would lose the will. "You're important to me too, Jade, believe me. But I am not going to let you ruin your chances at a brilliant career just to hang out with me. And I'm not gonna risk getting you sent off to Switzerland either."

"Excuse me Vega, but it's not your choice is it? It's mine." Jade smiled at Tori, but Tori didn't reciprocate.

"It's actually both of ours, since it takes two. Jade, this is serious."

"I get it Tori, no one gets it better than me. But we're here, now, let's enjoy this moment instead of worrying about what's going to happen when my mom stops shaking and comes out of her catatonic state."

"You're so beautiful when you smile." Tori declared to Jade, whose smile fell a fraction of an inch. Tori learned forward and pressed her lips to Jades before she could begin to doubt herself, sliding off the edge of the bed a little. Jade kissed back with added pressure, relishing in the feeling of a solid, intentional act of passion towards Tori. She grabbed Tori around the waist and sat her back on the bed, sliding her up so she could lay her down. Jade climbed over top, letting her hair fall in a curtain on both sides of their faces.

Tori looked up into Jade's eyes like a newborn. Her eyes were wide with excitement and passion, and even a little fear of the unknown. They practically buzzed an electric caramel color, and Jade felt chills coat every inch of her spine. She leaned in, their curves sliding together in harmony as she kissed her again, sliding one arm under the pillow where Tori's neck was and tangling the fingers on her other in Tori's hair. The heat between their bodies had grown immensely in a few short seconds, and all that could be heard was the rattling of short, raspy breaths and the sound of lips.

Jade tried the same thing she'd done earlier in the skit, tracing the tip of her tongue along the bottom of Tori's bottom lip. Tori squeaked out a tiny moan into Jade's mouth, parting her lips in wait. Jade slid her tongue just a little past Tori's lips, gingerly exploring new territory. They danced around each other and played at the idea for a second, until Tori pulled down hard on Jade's lower back and thrust her tongue forward, massaging Jades in fervor.

The energy in the room had ramped up a thousand percent in just a few short minutes, but it was nothing compared to what happened when Jade adjusted her body so her knee was between Tori's legs. Tori slid her hand under the back of Jade's shirt and ran her nails lightly across her back, and Jade pushed her knee forward just slightly into Tori's overheated center. Tori bucked her hips, pushing into Jade's knee twice as hard. The light nail drags turned into digging, and soon Jade was the one moaning into Tori's mouth.

Jade laid on her side, pulling Tori with her. She grabbed the thin woman's hip to use as a handle, pumping her leg back and forth while Tori clawed at her back. Tori dug into the side of Jade's neck, planting kisses from her earlobe all the way down to her collar bone, sinking her teeth hard into Jade's flesh as she pulled herself down hard on her leg. The bite sent flames through Jade's whole body, causing her to rotate their bodies slightly so Tori's opposite leg was between hers.

The two kissed passionately, tongues darting back and forth, lips traveling to necks and shoulders while their hips worked as a mind of their own. Tori felt a throbbing climb up and her stomach got hot, alerting her that she was on the edge. She slid her fingers into Jade's hair at the back of her neck, turning her head to the side so she could work on her collar bone and shoulder. A few kisses and bites had Jade bucking into her just as hard as she had been, and when the moment came, she squared off to look Jade right in the eye when it happened.

Tori could feel her wetness soaking through, and as soon as she made eye contact with Jade's deep blues, her back arched so hard that Jade had to wrap her up and hold her. Tori closed her eyes as her whole body shook from top to bottom, and wave after wave crashed over her so hard that her vision got blurry. Jade's hand was covering her mouth and she wasn't quite sure why, but a minute or so later both of them had stopped moving and neither of them seemed to be able to get a breath.

Jade rolled onto her back and took her hand off Tori's mouth. "You okay over there?" she croaked, her voice hoarse and low.

Tori couldn't speak at that moment but managed a grunt of recognition.

"I just want you to know I didn't come over here with that intention."

"I know. I'm the one that jumped on you."

"Yes, yes you did." Jade smiled so wide she could barely talk. "I trust that everything went according to plan?"

"You better believe it." Tori's arms rested on her stomach, her body still quivering. "I almost passed out cause you were suffocating me with your hand."

"Yeah well I didn't think your neighbors at the end of the street would be very happy listening to you scream bloody murder."

Tori blushed hard. "Was I that loud?"

"Daytime Emmy-worthy."

Tori smiled and rolled into Jade's side, reaching an arm over her stomach. Jade lifted her arm above her head so Tori could snuggle in.

"Your mom probably heard." Jade teased with her tongue in her cheek.

"Oh my god." Tori groaned into Jade's ribs, covering her face in embarrassment. "Jade, do you think we did the right thing? I mean, we just started this, like, today. And the day's not even over yet and we're already had sex, so to speak."

"I think it was natural and it happened because we wanted it to happen. Neither one of us needed any convincing, so yeah, I think we did the right thing."

"Okay. I just don't want something like sex to confuse things in the beginning."

"Believe me you beautiful woman, when we have sex, you will know it." Jade breathed deeply and yawned, and the two laid quietly for a little while.

The previous day and night took its toll on both of the girls, as Tori woke up at seven thirty the next morning after sleeping the whole night through. She opened her eyes and found Jade snuggled into her side with an arm draped over her, looking serene in sleep. One of them must have woken up in the night to pull the blankets back, but Tori couldn't remember doing it so she assumed Jade had. The blinds were drawn so it was still pretty dark in the room, giving the illusion of night time.

Tori got up carefully, tucking the blankets back around Jade then peeked outside. It looked cold, and she shivered a little just thinking about the wind. A trip to her dresser to grab underwear was first, then she headed for the bathroom for her morning routine. The steam woke her up, and she noticed a bit of a bruise between her legs. She must have pushed down on Jade's knee harder than she thought, but at the time it didn't matter. The water ran a little cold so Tori finished up and got out, dressing in her bottoms before heading back out to her room.

Her closet was pretty full, but the choice of something to wear was always hard. She had so many things she loved that choosing only one outfit was a battle of wills, and most of the time she had to just close her eyes and grab something. She chose black yoga pants and dark purple sweater, laying them on the desk as she grabbed them.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

Tori turned to her bed, still in her underwear and saw a bright-eyed Jade checking her out. She smiled wide and walked over to Jade's side of the bed, planting a kiss on her cheek. Jade ran her fingers down Tori's arm from her shoulder to her hand as she walked away, watching as Tori swung her hips. "I could say the same about you."

"Well I just woke up so I probably look like shit, and therefore I will call your bluff."

"Not a morning person, huh?"

"So I've been told."

After getting dressed, Tori put the TV on the Weather Channel to get an idea of what the day was going to be like. Jade slid out from under the covers, and Tori noticed she didn't have any pants on.

"I can't sleep in pants." Jade smiled as she grabbed her discarded jeans, pulling them on. "I woke up and you were still sleeping, so I chucked these off and pulled the blankets back."

"I thought so, thank you."

"Yeah. Do you want to do something today?"

Tori chewed on her bottom lip as she racked her brain. An idea came to her and she smiled, knowing Jade wasn't going to like it. "How about we go to the mall and look at Prom dresses?"

"No way, Vega. Not a chance in hell."

"Come on, Jade! Don't tell me you're not going to Prom."

"I might, but I sure as hell am not going to traverse that god forsaken teenage wasteland they call the mall on a Saturday."

Tori thought fast on her feet. "If you go I might let you into the changing room with me when I try stuff on."

Jade stood mouth open, staring at Tori. "Well well, aren't you just a regular Lilith."

"Who is-"

"Nevermind. I'll go, just let me go home and shower, change and I'll be back."

"Okay."

Jade walked over and kissed Tori lightly on the lips, turning to head for the door.

"I-" Tori stopped herself, not sure of what she was about to say.

"You...?"

"I'll see you in a bit." Tori avoided eye contact.

"I won't take too long." Jade headed out and shut the door behind her.

Tori finished getting ready, worried about how she choked on her words. She knew she really liked Jade, and telling her she loved her during the skit was partially in reaction to Jade, but there was a part of her that believed it. After the night before, Tori was certain she wanted to explore everything with Jade, and they were off to a good start.

The weather called for rain, so going to the mall was probably going to end up being a bad idea. Whenever the weather was bad people flocked to the mall since outdoor activities were halted, which meant hundreds of teenagers loitering and causing problems. It was better than sitting around doing nothing though, and Tori was just happy to be with Jade.

The doorbell rang, alerting Tori that Jade had returned. She headed downstairs after spraying on some perfume, answering the door and grabbing her boots. Jade walked in wearing a black knit sweater with dark blue jeans, a matching scarf and her hair was straightened. Tori scanned over her features, the blue eyeshadow that accentuated her eyes and the shine of lipgloss. Jade continued up to Tori, wrapping her arms around her waist. She smelled like strawberry, and Tori melted into her arms. Jade leaned back and raised a hand to Tori's chin, turning her head to face her. She kissed her hard, nibbling a little on her bottom lip. Tori looked dazed, and Jade smiled happily.

"Ready to go?"

Tori took a deep breath. "After you."

The girls headed out to Jade's car since it was already warm, getting in and setting up some music. The mall was a half hour or so away with traffic, so Tori kicked back and enjoyed the playlist. She kept stealing glances at Jade every time they turned left, giving her an excuse to look that way. After Jade turned the second corner, she set her arm down on her leg, and Tori reached over to grab it. Jade glanced sideways at Tori, smiling when their fingers locked together.

"So, I take it you're comfortable with this?" Jade asked, eyes on the road.

"Yeah. I mean, we're gonna have quite a bit of explaining to do on Monday, but I'm okay with that if you are."

"I am. You know Beck and Andre and the others will be fine with it, and I'm sure most everyone else at Hollywood Arts will be as well."

"I agree, I'm just worried most about your parents."

"My parents are schmucks. I mean, they're lovable schmucks when they want to be, but for the most part they're just schmucks. If anything comes of it I'll take care of it."

Tori laughed, squeezing Jade's hand.

**A/N: Well, the first night has passed. I know a lot of people were waiting for it, and I was happy to finally get to some Jori action. I think it went okay, and I hope you guys enjoy it. It felt natural for the situation, and that's what mattered the most to me. The arc for this story week is Prom, so trust there will definitely be more of that to come. Sorry about this chapter being a little short, I have a really busy day tomorrow and I wanted to get something out for you guys to read, and this seemed like a decent place to stop. Thanks for reading!**


	12. Awaiting Elemental Meltdown

The mall was, as they had anticipated, packed. It took five minutes just to find a spot and another five to walk to the door. Jade hated this plan before they even left the house, and now she was dreading it. Little families and couples and business people flooded in and out of the doors to the Food Court, and she had no idea how they were going to comfortably manage this many bodies.

Walking through the front door was an assault on her senses. Everything from pizza to subs to chinese food, all in one spot. Practically every table was full, and for good reason. The smells made her stomach growl, and the decision to grab something on the way out firmly cemented itself on her to-do list. There was a short oriental man giving out samples at a Japanese restaurant on the corner where they passed, and they each stopped to grab one, nodding their appreciation at the grilled chicken.

The two of them walked through the food court to the central hub where the big blueprint of the mall stood. A bunch of people were crowded around it, so they stood back and waited for their turn. Parents were trying to wrangle in their children while teenagers hung all over each other like PDAs were the new black. Jade shook her head at a couple that seemed to have their faces stuck together, and Tori laughed at her side.

"Where do you want to try first?"

"Ugh, anywhere that gets me away from these mouth breathers."

Tori smiled and rolled her eyes. Typical Jade was out to play today.

"Why do these kids feel like they have to treat this place like their own houses? You don't live here, act like a civilized person."

"Aww Jade, don't be jealous. I can hang all over you like that if you want." The idea of actually hanging on Jade in the middle of the crowded mall scared Tori to death, but she enjoyed the freakish glare she got from Jade at the mention.

"Lucky for you I'm not a Troglodyte, and I won't call your bluff for the second time today."

Tori taunted Jade smugly, secretly relieved. "We should go to Glamour Closet first, then maybe hit Cinderella on the way back around."

"Whatever you say, dear."

Jade accentuated the remark in a condescending way, but Tori couldn't help but walk with a smile plastered on her face, relishing the first time Jade had ever used a pet name on her.

The walkways were packed with pedestrians, and the stores themselves were no different. Popular stores like The Gap and A&F were so full people were waiting outside to get in. The walk to the first store was more like a driving test, dodging cones wearing jackets and shoes. The ladies arrived at the Glamour Closet first, which happened to be a little less busy than some of the other places, much to Jade's relief.

The store was brightly lit with a vast array of different dresses, sorted into racks by color and size. Both girls instinctively geared towards the blue section, since it was both of their favorite color. Tori went for a midnight blue while Jade went for a lighter blue that matched her eyes, holding it up and strutting a bit. Tori animatedly checked her out, scanning from top to bottom a few times.

"Go try it on."

"Ugh, do I have to? I thought I only had to be here to appease you."

"Well by trying that on you are appeasing me. Now go."

"You're gonna pay me back for this. Somehow, some way."

"Looking forward to it" Tori called from over her shoulder, returning to the rack to continue browsing. She picked out another dress of the same dark shade but a different style, folding it over her arm like the first. When turning to the next rack, she looked out of the store window and saw Jennifer, Beck's friend, chatting with a few other people in a small group. Tori looked through a few dresses on the second rack, looking up occasionally to see what the pretty blonde girl was up to. A minute later she heard the sound of Jade's boots behind her, glancing over her shoulder to double check.

Jade stood tall in a long ocean blue dress that stopped just short of her ankles. It hugged her curves perfectly while emphasizing her bust, and Tori couldn't help but stare. Jade spun in a slow circle, lifting the dress to show a little leg playfully. Tori looked her up and down, particularly staring at her chest. Jade snapped her fingers with a smile on her face.

"My eyes are up here, Vega."

Tori shook her head to clear it. "You look amazing."

"It's a gift."

Tori couldn't tear her eyes away from the girl in front of her. The stark contrast of her raven hair with the blue dress, and the way the dress matched her eyes perfectly. Her eyes roamed Jade's outline slowly, drinking in every inch.

"Okay Vega, you can stop staring now." Jade was starting to feel a little self conscious with all the attention.

"Sorry, you just..."

"Is that Jennifer?" Jade asked, looking past Tori's head out the window.

Tori fumbled for a second before she found words again. "Yeah, she's been out there talking to those guys."

"How nice for her." Jade smoothed out the dress and looked back to Tori. "Well, it's pretty nice."

"Pretty nice? You look like a million bucks."

Jade reached out and grabbed Tori's hand. "Thanks, Tor. Only problem is," Jade reached to the side and grabbed the price tag, "this."

Tori grabbed the tag and opened it, reading the inside. "Two hundred dollars? Holy chiz!"

"Holy chiz, indeed."

"I'll find a way to get it for you, you deserve to look that good."

Jade couldn't help but smile. "You're still too nice, Vega."

Tori and Jade spent another half hour or so looking at other dresses, holding them up in the mirrors to get an idea of what would look best. Tori checked out a tight black dress with a sloped neck that Jade really liked, helping her zip it up in the back.

"You never show off your cleavage. I think this is a pretty good look for you."

"Yeah well I don't really have cleavage like you do." Tori looked down at her chest a little self consciously.

"Trust me, it's not all it's cracked up to be. My back hurts like all the time."

"Yeah, I guess the trade-off isn't always worth it. I see the way the guys look at you, though. It's pretty amusing to watch them drool."

"The most amusing part about it is some of them even think they have a chance."

"Jade! That's mean."

Jade smiled at her own wit, looking at Tori with soft eyes. "Oh Tori, those boys will be perfectly fine, I can assure you that. You can rest easy knowing that you'll be the one copping a feel without fear of retaliation. Well, bad retaliation anyway." She winked at Tori and Tori smiled dumbly.

"This dress is almost as much as that one."

"Well, looks like we're just gonna have to stay home."

"Oh really?" Tori asked sarcastically. "And when did you just decide that I was going to go with you anyway?" She cocked one hip to the side and rested her hand on it.

"I..." Jade was caught off guard with that last question and didn't really know what to say. "Well I mean I just assumed that since I wanted to go with you that you would want to go with me, but I mean we don't have to go together. I won't be mad if you want to ask someone else, I'll even help you-"

Tori stepped forward and kissed Jade softly on the lips in the middle of her sentence, causing Jade to close her eyes with her mouth open. "I do want to go with you, I was just kidding." She brought her arms back down to her sides and smiled.

Jade took a deep, calming breath, stabilizing her nerves. "Okay, I'm sorry for just assuming like that. I mean I know you have a lot of options and I don't want you to think just because we have this...thing, that you aren't free to ask someone else."

"And I appreciate that, but I don't want to ask anyone else. I think you'll do just fine."

Jade felt much better hearing that. "Alright, go get that off so we can get out of here already."

"Unzip me?" Tori asked with a seductive look.

Jade pursed her lips, hiding a smile. "You just don't know when to quit do you?" She unzipped the dress and slid her hand down Tori's back slowly.

Tori shivered a little as Jade's touch rippled through her body, enjoying the tingling in her extremities. "It's a gift." She giggled quietly as she walked into the dressing room.

Once Tori was changed the girls headed back out into the madness of the mall. Jennifer was gone along with the guys she was talking to, and the spot was filled with new people. Tori looked sideways at Jade who was staring straight ahead, wondering what was going through her mind. She saw Jade as a possessive girlfriend over Beck, but she didn't really blame her due to Beck's fan club of girls that followed him everywhere. She also knew that while Jade was popular with most people and showed a certain confidence at school, there was that side of her that was still a little kid trying to get her parents' attention, and her insecurities really stood out in the store. Tori didn't want Jade to feel like she was only going along with it because she wanted to be friends with her, she wanted Jade to really know that she was in as an equal, the second half of their new relationship. After a couple minutes of thought, Tori reached over and grabbed Jade's hand, holding it freely in front of all of the wandering eyes in crowded mall. Jade looked down at their entwined fingers then up at Tori, who was smiling brightly back at her.

It seemed like at that exact moment, almost every eye in the vicinity was on them. Same sex couples weren't really a big deal in California, especially in the Hollywood area. Tori played it up to her imagination, the fear of being different in society. She didn't mind being different, and the idea of being gay was never a big deal to her, but something about actually being in the situation, actually holding another woman's hand in public was a lot different than her thoughts.

It was getting later in the day, meaning even more people were showing up. A group of younger kids came straight for them, so Jade ducked into a jewelry store, grabbing Tori's arm and pulling her with. The group stampeded past, and Tori watched with raised eyebrows like they were a group of safari animals. She turned to face Jade who had walked forward a few paces to a display case, checking out large diamond earrings.

The case in front of them was chocked full of huge diamonds. Watches, bracelets, earrings, rings, you name it. Jade was eyeing a diamond wedding ring set in a platinum band. It had diamonds all the way around the band with a big rock right in the middle, held in place with platinum and gold hands. She moved side to side, watching the brilliant rocks sparkle in the case light. One of the store workers walked over and stopped at the case in front of Jade.

"Can I help you ladies with anything?"

Jade pointed to the ring. "How much does that cost?"

The man looked to where she was pointing. "Ah, yes. That particular ring is a beaut. It was purchased by a certain celebrity, I can't say who, to propose to his girlfriend at the time. Alas, she said no, and the ring ended up back in our ranks."

"Fascinating. How much does it cost?"

"Well, we don't like to just throw out numbers outright, but if you want I can-"

"What I want is for you to tell me how much it costs in American dollars."

The man's face hardened. "Eight hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars, Miss."

"HA!" Jade exclaimed loudly, garnering looks from everyone in the store. The man behind the counter grimaced and walked away, realizing that the two women weren't actually potential customers. She turned to Tori who was watching with a smile, shaking her head. "You see that? People need to adjust their priorities."

"I don't know, I thought it was nice."

"Don't make me regret being attracted to you, Vega."

Tori brought Jade into a hug, giggling into her neck.

The other stores around seemed packed, and the other dress shop, which was admittedly much cheaper than the first one, looked like an ant hill. All of the big electronics stores, sports stuff and clothing stores seemed to be full, but a lone bookstore at the end of the strip they were on seemed to be deserted. They walked in for a few minutes to see what was on the best seller shelves nowadays, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Jade picked up a tattoo magazine while Tori grabbed a large coffee table publication full of chic hairstyles, flipping through page by page. Any bystander would have no clue that the two women even knew each other, much less that they were an item. The modern goth with her boots and pale skin with the trendy tan-skinned latina, complete with long fancy curls and a brilliant smile. They clashed with each other so much, yet the old saying of 'opposites attract' held strong.

After a little of browsing the quiet bookstore, they headed out towards the food court. It was nearing lunch time, so Tori figured they could grab something, and judging on the sounds coming from Jade's stomach, she was in agreement. The food court was a madhouse. Jade stopped and scanned from side to side, huffing out a breath at the prospect of standing in line for an hour just to get something to eat. She turned to Tori to see where she was on the decision, laughing at the look on her face.

"Jade, this is nuts. Do you want to try somewhere else?"

"Doesn't really matter to me. Do you know what you want?"

"Whatever has the shortest line I suppose."

Jade looked around and noticed the shortest line was at the little Japanese place they had sampled from earlier. She tapped Tori on the shoulder and pointed, and Tori shook her head yes. They walked over and got in line, surveying the menu as the people in front of them ordered. Jade found what she wanted and returned to scanning the court again, casually people watching in broad daylight.

She caught eyes again on Jennifer, standing by the door with one of the guys she had been talking to earlier. They looked like they were standing pretty close, so Jade tapped Tori on the side with her hand, not taking her eyes off Jennifer. Tori followed Jade's eyes and watched as well, perfect timing to see her kiss the guy she was talking to and give him a long hug before disappearing outside. Tori turned to Jade in disbelief, not sure what was really going on. Jade stared at the spot Jennifer had disappeared from, a look of disgust on her face.

"Jade, what just happened?"

"Beck said they were 'friends,' so I'm not really sure."

"I thought he liked her, what happened?"

The line moved and the girls walked forward, quickly ordering what they wanted to eat. Tori paid for both of them and then found a table to sit at. They sat across from each other at an intimate two person table in an area that seemed a little less crowded than the rest.

Jade didn't want to reveal too much of the personal stuff Beck shared with her, so she played the last question aloof. "He just said something about little things, not really sure. I don't think they mesh as well as..."

"As you two did? It's okay Jade. You guys had your issues obviously but when you got along you were a good couple, we all saw it."

Jade was amazed at how she could consistently find new ways to like Tori even more. She was so selfless and giving, even when people didn't always deserve it.

"Jade? You're staring."

"You're an amazing woman, Tori Vega."

Tori was blindsided by the comment. "I, uh, wow."

"I know. Eat your lunch." Jade smiled at the look on Tori's face. They ate in silence for a bit, watching people come and go to different establishments around them.

"What are you gonna do about Jennifer?"

"What do you mean what am I gonna do?"

"Are you gonna tell Beck? Don't you think he should know?"

"Honestly, his relationships aren't any of my business."

"Well you and I are friends, wouldn't you want someone to tell you if they saw me kissing someone somewhere?"

Jade felt her stomach tighten at the thought of Tori kissing someone else. "Yeah, probably."

"I'm sure he feels the same way. You two are still best friends, you should at least text him and find out what their situation is or something."

"We'll see." Jade finished the last of her noodles and sat back with her hand on her stomach, eyes closed. Tori smiled at the sleepy girl, grabbing both of their trays to take to the trash. When she returned Jade stood up and wrapped one arm around her waist. She took a deep breath and leaned in, kissing Tori plainly in front of the hundreds of people around them. "Thanks Tori, that was good."

"The kiss or the food?" Tori asked in a bit of a daze.

"Smart ass. Let's go." They hooked arms and walked toward the doors, confident that they were the happiest people on the planet.

The parking lot itself too about fifteen minutes to navigate with all the traffic and bodies. The mall area was crazy anyway, since the whole four city block area was all shopping, food and entertainment. Thousands of people poured in and out daily, and it seemed like on that particular day everyone that had ever been there decided to come back all at once.

Tori turned on some music while Jade drove, staring idly through the windshield. The thought of bringing the Jennifer thing up with Beck was eating away at her, but she knew she would have to do it. Tori was right, she would want the same courtesy. Jade grabbed her phone out of her pocket and handed it to Tori.

"Will you find Beck's number and dial it for me?"

"Sure." Tori went to O in the contacts and found Beck's name. "It's ringing."

"Put it on speaker."

"Hello?" Beck answered in a tired voice.

"Jesus are you still sleeping?"

"My name isn't Jesus, and yes I was."

"I need to talk to you, can I come over real quick?"

"Uh, sure." Beck sounded kind of nervous.

"Alright I'll be there in fifteen or twenty minutes."

"Okay."

Jade nodded to Tori to hang up the call. She felt bad for waking him up, and for going to deliver to him what could possibly be bad news first thing in his morning, but either way it was going to happen. The drive to Beck's was silent, Jade going through what she was going to say to him in her head while Tori just listened to the music and let Jade think. Beck's driveway was empty so Jade pulled into the mouth of it and stopped towards the end, turning the car off but leaving the keys in the ignition so Tori could listen to the radio.

"I'll be right back." She leaned over and kissed Tori on the cheek.

"Okay." Tori smiled sweetly and watched her walk to the back of the house to Beck's RV.

Beck was already outside, sitting on the step to the RV drinking a can of orange soda. Jade walked up slowly, taking in his demeanor to figure out how to best approach the subject. He seemed like he was in a good mood for just waking up, so she figured the best course of action would be to get right to the point instead of beating around the bush.

The RV looked like it had been recently washed, and the ground around it was neatly manicured. The grass was cut and the leaves were removed, leaving a nice patch of the American dream. Jade's overactive mind attributed this cleanliness to Beck not having much to do, and she then linked not having anything to do to not hanging out with Jennifer. Maybe they had broken up, and if so, talking to him would go a whole lot smoother.

"Hey Beck."

"What's up" he answered slowly, his eyes still a little heavy.

"Not much, just wanted to talk a bit, see how your night went. Did you go to that party?"

"Yeah me and Jennifer stopped by for a bit. It's a weekend long thing, come and go as you please."

"You guys make any progress?"

Beck looked sideways at Jade with the look a parent would give their child that just spilled juice on the carpet. "Well, we've been going out a lot, it's been working out pretty well. I think we've grown a bit since you last asked."

Jade bit her tongue. She didn't want to go through with it, since Beck was her best friend and she didn't want to do anything to hurt him. She took a deep breath and held it for a second, looking for the courage to speak, then let it go. She walked over and sat next to him on the step to the RV, setting her phone down between her feet.

"Tori and I saw Jennifer kissing someone else at the mall today." Jade turned her head and looked directly at Beck to gauge his reaction. He stared forward without speaking for the space of a few breaths, then laughed. Shaking his head, he took another drink of his pop, finishing the can, then threw it in the open trash can near the rear of the RV. Jade waited with bated breath for him to either say it was okay or scream or something, but he didn't seem to want to react at all.

"Figures." he finally muttered, smile on his face in spite of the situation. "She seemed like the fast type, but I guess I wanted to see past it." He stood up from the step and walked around a bit, running his fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry Beck."

"It's cool, no worries kid." He smiled at Jade and stepped up to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Thanks for telling me."

"Thank Tori honestly" she answered, smiling at the confused look on his face. "I didn't want to get involved in the whole thing, thinking maybe you would just think I was being jealous again and trying to ruin your relationship or whatever, but Tori asked me what I would want if the tables were turned, and I realized I would want you to tell me, so I came here."

"Well tell her for me when you see her."

"I will, she's in the car."

"How's that going by the way?"

"Well, we kinda have a thing going now. We plan on telling everyone when we see them."

"Good. I have plans with Andre to go back to that party tonight. Do you and Tori want to come? Maybe call Cat and Robbie?"

"Sure, text me the address."

"Alright, we're heading out about nine tonight."

"Kay, we'll meet you there." Jade smiled and waved at Beck as she turned to leave, glancing over her shoulder as she rounded the side of the house. Beck just stood outside of the door to his RV, leaning forward and resting his head. Her heart broke a little to see him upset, but he needed his space to deal with whatever issues would come of the situation.

Jade got back in the car to find a snoozing Tori. She was leaning against the window with her eyes closed, listening to The Tumbled Sea. Jade didn't want the starting of the car to scare her, so she reached over and put a light hand on her thigh, shaking gently.

"Hey Tor, I'm back."

Tori smiled and covered the hand on her leg with one of her own, smiling with her eyes still closed. "Kay."

Jade started the car and pulled out of the driveway, suddenly aware she didn't know where she was going. "So what now?"

"Hmm." Tori mused for a second, then perked up with an idea. "How about we head to your house, grab some coffee from the stand and then go back to that park with the swings?"

Jade's heart fluttered at the light in Tori's eyes when she spoke, suddenly feeling short of breath. "Yeah, that sounds good" she answered, smiling uncontrollably.

The wind died down and the sun was overhead, making it a little warmer than it was earlier that morning. The walk to the coffee stand was comfortable, allowing Tori to really look around and get a feel for Jade's neighborhood. The houses were nice with manicured lawns and fences, nice cars in the driveways. Some people had gates at the beginning with buzzers, some people only had one car garages. It was a good mix, not too rich and not too shabby.

The few small stores in the area were also well kept up. No trash in the parking lots or kids loitering outside. There was a convenience store on one corner and a liquor store across the street, which more often than not was adorned with a homeless person holding a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag. The homeless in the area didn't really bother anyone though, so it wasn't necessarily a problem for them to be hanging out.

The coffee stand was just the same as always. A few people littered the seats outside of the window, sipping their beverages and carrying on conversation. Seagulls were amassed on the corner, picking at a discarded bag of fast food someone had most likely thrown from the window of their vehicle. Tori and Jade walked up to the window slowly so Tori could look at the menu.

"Hey Jade, how's it going today?"

"Same as usual. You?"

"Same. This your girlfriend?"

Jade was surprised the comment and didn't immediately respond.

"I'm sorry if I assumed wrong or something." The barista turned away and grabbed the cup for Jade's normal order, setting it on the counter.

"No it's uh, yeah. She is. I think."

Tori stared at Jade and a smile crept up slowly, almost giddy over what she'd just heard. "We're trying it out" she added, playfully knocking her shoulder into Jade's.

"Well congratulations then." The woman smiled as she grabbed a second cup for Tori.

Jade got her usual and Tori got a hot spiced apple cider, completing their order with slip covers and lids. They turned from the counter with a wave, heading in the direction of the park. Tori squeezed some steam out of her cup, still smiling from Jade's cute stutter. She switched the cup to her other hand and grabbed Jade's free one, raising an eyebrow coolly when she looked to inspect.

"So I'm your girlfriend now, huh?" Tori poked playfully, waiting for Jade's reaction.

"I don't know. I wasn't really sure what to say, and I didn't want to say no and hurt your feelings or anything and I wasn't sure about saying yes cause I didn't want to assume but I had to say something."

"Do you think we're ready for that? The whole labeling thing?"

"It doesn't bother me. I mean, I don't really plan on seeing anyone else."

"Neither do I" Tori added, feeling the butterflies come back to her stomach.

"So I guess if we're dating, and we don't want to see anyone else, that mean's we're girlfriends...right?" Jade's eyes flickered from her cup to Tori's face, waiting for her answer. "Cause honestly, we've already, well, you know."

"I suppose it does." Tori smiled when she heard Jade release the breath she was holding, blushing a little at the last part of the sentence.

The park was empty, and Tori and Jade walked over to the swings as they had the last time. They took neighboring swings and kicked back gently, swaying back and forth in unison. "Hey look, we're married!" Tori joked, referencing the old playground saying.

"If all goes well that's actually a possibility here." Jade joked back, and in that moment both women were off somewhere else in their heads, imagining being married to one another.

A couple kids played in a backyard that was adjacent to the park, but separated by a fence. They had their own playground equipment, and Jade watched as they played some sort of what she guessed was a pirate game, as the older kid stood at a ships' wheel. The younger ones ran around and pretended to pull on ropes as the older one shouted inaudible commands, and Jade smiled at the memory of being able to throw herself into something so simple so completely.

Tori kept her eyes trained on Jade as she watched the kids, slowly going over the events of the past couple weeks in her head. How everything had come together so nicely, and a friendship that she thought wasn't meant to be turned into something more beautiful than she could have imagined. Jade had warmed up to her, showed her things she hadn't shown anyone else, and the feeling of being a confidant made Tori smile. She studied Jade's face carefully, from her soft almond-shaped eyes to her small but pouty lips. It was amusing to her that Jade's personality was so brash and standoff-ish when her facial features blatantly contrasted it. Her face was round and her skin was soft and smooth with almost a newborn glow, all things that screamed gentle and good. She especially loved how the turmoil in Jade's eyes went away completely when she looked at her, like the clouds in the sky just disappeared to reveal the brightest stars of the night.

At that moment Jade turned to face her, looking startled at the way Tori was staring. Tori laughed loudly at getting caught, feeling more comfortable than ever with her new girlfriend. Jade looked puzzled but Tori just smiled, reaching out for her hand. Jade took hers and held it tight, deciding to just go with the flow since Tori seemed so happy.

"Hey so, uh, Beck invited us to that party tonight."

"I thought that was last night?"

"He said it's a weekend long thing. Apparently this person has a 'school' apartment that his parents rent for him or something and he lives there by himself."

"Sounds cool."

"Yeah, I was thinking about going, but only if you come with."

"Sure. Where is it?"

"Not sure, probably somewhere on the west side. Beck said him and Andre were going at nine, and he would text me the address."

"Alright, as long as he gives us time to freshen up a bit."

Jade smiled at her comment. "Oh yeah miss priss? Trying to impress some of the boys are we?"

"How else am I gonna get a big strong man to carry me up to a bedroom at the end of the night?"

Jade threw her head back in laughter, but Tori didn't move or make a sound. She looked at Jade quizzically, and Jade's laugh quickly stopped. The two stared into eachother's eyes for a second until Tori started laughing again.

"You are so easy sometimes."

"Don't make me murder you, Vega."

"You wouldn't kill me, you like me too much." Tori bit her bottom lip seductively and stared Jade down with as much eye-sex as she could muster.

Jade felt the familiar tingling between her legs and the beginning of a ball of heat in her stomach. "Well, maybe not yet. But don't think for a minute I'm not prepared to hide a body at a moment's notice."

Tori's laugh sobered immediately at the serious tone in Jade's voice. "Why do you-"

"I have my reasons." Jade got up from the swing and started walking back towards her house, leaving Tori to trail behind.

Jade's parent's cars were in the garage, so held a hand out to stop Tori by her own car. "My parents are here, we should probably go to your house instead."

"Okay, that's fine with me."

The two got in Jade's car and backed out quickly, hoping to make a getaway before Jade's mom came flying out the front door with a purpose. Afternoon traffic was picking up, so Jade drove as quickly as the cars around her would allow, trying to get off the main drag as soon as possible. Tori's neighborhood was a lot like her own, maybe a little more spaced out. The houses had big yards with lots of space between, perfect for families with pets. Tori's house sat high in the valley towards the peak, which offered her side deck extraordinary views.

Tori and Jade passed Trina and Melanie as they went through the front door. Jade exchanged dirty looks with Trina and Tori exchanged waves with Melanie.

"Tell mom I'll be home tomorrow."

Tori stopped and turned around. "Tell her yourself, you have a phone."

"Yeah but could you just do that for me? Thanks." Trina got in the car before Tori could respond.

"I'm not your fucking slave, Trina" Tori responded to herself angrily, and Jade laughed in surprise.

"Wow Vega, I've never heard you drop the f bomb before."

"Yeah well when you have a sister like Trina..."

"It would probably be every other word out of my mouth, touche."

Jade walked over and sat on the end cap of one of the couches, grabbing the remote to find something on TV. Tori grabbed a couple bottles of water from the fridge and found a spot next to Jade, leaning into her side to get comfortable. They found a Charmed marathon and decided that was good, settling into their spots to relax and waste some time. Jade texted Cat about the party, and she answered saying she had to take care of her brother after he had gotten in trouble with the police over their neighbor's dog. Robbie said couldn't make it either, claiming something about the new PearPad software and debugging or whatever. Jade sat her phone down and got comfortable, leaning her head on Tori's.

Three episodes later the sound of the door opening and shutting woke Jade up. She had fallen asleep against the arm of the couch, and Tori had fallen asleep against her. Jade's right arm was draped over her shoulder and Tori was holding her hand near her chest. Mrs. Vega slipped her heels off quietly and set them by the door, tiptoeing into the kitchen to get something to drink.

"Hey Mrs. Vega" Jade called over quietly, looking down at Tori to see if she would stir.

"Hello Jade, nice to see you again."

"You too. Sorry we kinda fell asleep on the couch here."

"Oh no worries at all hon."

Jade pressed the hand Tori was holding against her chest, rubbing small circles on her skin with her thumb. "Tor, your mom's home."

Tori stirred a little, wiping sleep from her eyes. "Did I fall asleep?"

"We both did" Jade laughed, retracting her arm a bit to rub Tori's back when she sat up. "You fell asleep on me like twenty minutes into the first episode and I didn't want to move you, so I ended up falling asleep too."

"I'm sorry."

Jade lowered her voice. "Does she...know?"

Tori looked spaced for a second, but her brain caught up after the sleep cloud passed. "Yeah, I told her."

"She's okay with it?"

"Yeah, she's just like my dad."

"Good." Jade smiled at Tori and stood up to stretch.

"Have you girls eaten anything?" Mrs. Vega asked, glossing over various menus magneted to the fridge.

"We had lunch at the mall around noon but nothing since then" Tori answered, stretching her legs as she walked into the kitchen.

"Well I think," Mrs. Vega grabbed her phone out of her bag, "I'm gonna order some sandwiches. Is that okay?"

"Sounds good to me, mom. Jade?"

"Yeah, sure. Anything to not have to go home." Jade joked, still a little nervous on the inside about what exactly would happen when she went home.

"You can get me a number seven and Jade and I will share it."

"How do you know? You don't know what I like yet."

"Well if you don't like it I'll break up with you anyway so we'll just go with that."

Jade couldn't help but smile at the nonchalance of the beautifully tan woman.

The food came about thirty minutes later, and all of the women took a seat at the kitchen table. Tori handed Jade her half and Jade just kind of stared at it. There had to be six different cuts of meat on it with cheese in between each kind.

"Jesus Vega, you're not a dinosaur."

Tori looked offended by Jade's comment. "So what? I like meat okay?"

"Well, can't knock a girl for knowing what she wants." Jade winked at Tori and tucked her napkin on her lap.

Mrs. Vega recounted her day at work, telling the girls about a couple of cases coming through the firm while glossing over the details as per the legal attorney/client privilege agreement. As they finished their meals, Tori got up to clear the table and straighten up the couch where she'd fallen asleep earlier. Mrs. Vega made to head upstairs to start unwinding from her day, grabbing her briefcase and a bottle of water.

"Oh hey mom, we're gonna be heading to a party tonight, if that's okay with you."

"Where is it?"

"Uh" Tori looked at Jade, unsure of what to say.

"Well I think it's on the west side, I'm waiting for Beck to text me details. Actually," she pulled out her phone to check her messages, realizing that he had already done so, "yeah, it's towards the shore about twenty minutes away from North Ridge."

"Okay, but I want you home tonight."

"No problem. Also Trina said she would be home tomorrow."

Mrs. Vega shook her head. "There's something wrong with that girl."

Jade laughed loudly and quickly covered her mouth, and Mrs. Vega smiled her appreciation.

The girls headed up to Tori's room to get ready for the party. Tori changed her shirt to a light black top that stretched over one shoulder with a dark gray tank top underneath it. After she changed she sat at her desk where the mirror was, combing out her hair and touching up her mascara. Jade stood idly by the door and waited.

"You can look through my closet for something to wear if you want. Whatever's mine is yours."

Jade felt really good about that. Even though it would just be a small sentiment to most people, Jade didn't really have any girlfriends that she hung out with, like most girls that share clothes and makeup. To her it was the real mark of a friendship, not just the relationship going on between them. She watched Tori groom her hair for a minute, smiling like an idiot. "Okay, I'll see if my boobs will fit into any of your shirts."

Tori smiled into the mirror. "I'll be sure to watch in case you get stuck."

They finished getting changed and freshened up, but still had about an hour until nine. Not sure on what to do, Jade sat on the edge of Tori's bed, looking out the window at cars going by. Tori stood silently running her fingers through her hair in front of the mirror, catching sight of Jade behind her. She watched as Jade sat quietly, watching the wonders of the world out the window. Tori cracked her neck and stepped back from the mirror, turning to Jade. She walked forward and stood in front of her at the end of the bed, turning her head to side slightly. Jade looked up questioningly, and in that moment Tori pushed her backwards onto her bed and crawled over her.

"We have about a half hour before we gotta leave, wanna play with me?" She looked as seductively as possible before crushing her lips down onto Jade's.

Jade's mouth was half open in shock that Tori had climbed onto her, and Tori used it to her advantage to slip her tongue in and massage Jade's. She had Jade's arms pinned down to the bed above her head by the wrists, her stomach gently grazing Jade's. As she moved their shirts bunched up and the skin on skin contact ignited them both, causing Tori to lose her strength a bit and fall down onto Jade. Their bodies fit together perfectly, each part falling into some nook comfortably. Tori reached down and rubbed Jade's bare stomach with her right hand, gently dragging her nails along the space between her belly button and waist. Jade reached up and grabbed Tori's face with both hands, kissing her with vigor. Tori teased Jade by fumbling with the button on her pants, sliding her thumb underneath and rubbing it back and forth. Jade's hips involuntarily bucked upwards and made Tori push down on her center, making Jade moan. A quick rap on the door made Jade move so fast that she accidentally bit Tori's lip in an attempt to get out from under her.

"Come in" Tori answered weakly, her voice cracking.

Mrs. Vega opened the door and stuck her head in. "Home by one o'clock, okay?"

"Sure mom."

"Okay. Have fun girls." Mrs. Vega shut the door and headed to bed, leaving Tori and Jade standing breathless on opposite sides of the room.

"Oh my god" Jade laughed under breath, sounding relieved and hysterical at the same time.

"That was, uh, close." Tori smiled and put her hands on top of her head.

"Yeah, thanks for getting me all worked up, lover" Jade snarled in a playful way, holding a hand on her stomach.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect that."

"Well, you'll just have to make it up to me somehow." Jade smiled and walked over to Tori, planting one last soft kiss on her lips before heading for the stairs.

Down in the living room Jade called Beck and asked him what the plan was. He reported that him and Andre were on the way now since they were a little further out, and that Tori and Jade should leave in about ten minutes to meet them there. Tori put her brown knee-high boots on and waited by the door while Jade finished up, hanging up the call and doing the same.

It was colder out since the sun had gone down, so Tori threw on a leather jacket before locking the door and heading out. Jade's car was at the bottom of the driveway so they decided she would drive, and Tori set up a playlist on her PearPod for the trip. She leaned back in the seat and held Jade's hand, watching as the town came to life on a Saturday night. The lights from all of the downtown buildings lit up the sky so much you couldn't see the stars, but the trade off of the neon signs and glamor of Hollywood wasn't so bad.

They arrived at the house just before Beck and Andre, waiting in the car for Beck's call. They hummed along to a Coheed and Cambria song together until Jade's phone rang, and Beck and Andre could be spotted walking up the driveway. The girls got out of the car and greeted the boys, and Jade stowed their bags in the trunk.

The building was large and sturdy, yet pretty nondescript from the outside. It looked just as any factory building you'd see in a big city, with a solid foundation and heavy doors. They walked through the front door way which led to an elevator room, noticing a sign on the wall that said 'Party: Floor 5." Beck pushed the call button for the elevator and they all filed in, then Andre hit the 5 button and the elevator rose to the top.

The party was back in full swing. The apartment was beautiful, with low hardwood floors and vaulted ceilings. The far wall was made entirely of glass and led to a large balcony, while the east wall held a bar and the west wall held a large flatscreen and DJ station. The place was pretty packed, and the dance floor was full of buzzing bodies swaying to the beat. Tori surveyed the room from side to side as a young professional-looking guy came up to greet them.

"Hey guys, Beck."

"Tyler." Beck nodded.

"Welcome everyone to my humble abode. My name is Tyler, and you call me whatever you like."

"Oh God" Jade groaned, rolling her eyes to the ceiling.

Tyler looked confused when Beck and Tori both muttered "don't ask."

"This is Tori, Jade and Andre."

"Nice to meet you all. Where's Jennifer?"

"Seems I was getting stale." Beck answered with a little acidity.

"Bummer bro, chicks like Jennifer will do it to you every time though. Open bar here though, so have a drink and forget about it."

"Thanks Tyler, I think I'll do just that." Beck nodded his appreciation and headed for the bar.

Tyler turned and headed back in to the party and Andre followed Beck, leaving Tori and Jade standing in the entrance way. Tori turned to Jade and raised her eyebrows in a questioning way, wondering what to do next. Jade walked slowly over to the bar where Beck was, and Tori followed behind.

"Go easy on those tonight, champ." Jade motioned to the solo cup in Beck's hand.

"I promise I will be appropriate with these in comparison to my situation." Beck saluted Jade and leaned back against the bar, taking a sip of the drink.

"Do you want one, Jade?" Tori asked after locking eyes with the bartender.

Jade hesitated for a second, thinking back to last week. "I think I should pass on those tonight."

"It's up to you" Tori replied with a smile, taking one for herself. "If you want to have just one or two to get loose and dance with me I'll help keep you in check."

Jade shook her head with a smile. "I suppose one would do me just fine." The bartender handed her a cup like the others and she took a sip of it, puckering her lips at the sour taste. "Not bad."

Tori and Jade bounced around to different groups around the party, stopping for for brief moments to catch glimpses of conversation. Some people were discussing music, others discussing politics or world events, others recanting drug experiences. There was an impressive amount of different people at the party, like the guy whose party it was seemed to float around to any crowd freely. Jade peeked in one door that was closed over but not shut since she saw smoke, and realized a group of people were smoking pot in the room. She waved smoke out of her face and continued down the hall, finding Beck in the kitchen with a couple of guys and a beer bong.

They'd only been at the party for a half hour or so but it looked like Beck was already half in the bag, laughing loudly and chugging beer from the funnel. He finished off one and the two guys with him threw their arms up in victory, shouting loudly in Beck's honor. He stood up straight and noticed Jade and Tori watching him, stumbling a little as he grabbed another full cup from the counter.

"Beck..." Jade cooed softly.

"Don't Jade, you're not my mom."

"I know I'm not your mom, I'm your best friend." She looked Beck pointedly in the face, but he just smiled drunkenly and laughed at her.

"I have it under control little lady, go have some fun with your girlfriend."

Jade was unimpressed by Beck's attitude and felt the urge to slap the smile off his face for the way he was acting. One of the guys Beck was with was tapping his friend on the shoulder and talking behind his hand like a third grader, looking back and forth between Tori and Jade, making Tori uncomfortable.

"You two are lesbros?" he blurted out, immediately laughing at the attempted joke.

Jade raised her eyebrows at the two boys who were practically falling over each other. "You're an idiot" she replied, grabbing Tori's hand and leading her out of the kitchen. Beck laughed into his cup as he drained it, turning back to the two guys and searching for the funnel.

Andre was on the dance floor dancing in a small circle with four other people, each person taking turns to bust out a couple moves. He looked happy, and the smile on his face made Tori smile. She walked up to the bar and handed the bartender the empty cup she was holding and he replaced it with a full one and then another, which she handed to Jade, who accepted despite her earlier protest.

After their second drink Tori and Jade went out onto the dance floor themselves and danced a few songs. Tori made her way over to Andre and the three of them danced a bit, making Tori happy that she was finally getting some time to spend with her best friend. When Jade started to get tired, she motioned that she was gonna go take a break, heading over to the bar to sit down.

The bartender handed her a third drink but she refused, knowing she had to drive home in a couple hours. Deciding it would be best to go check on Beck again, she got up to go look for him and make sure he wasn't making an ass of himself somewhere. She got up from the bar and headed down the same hallway as before, checking each room on the way through. The pot room was still full of smoke, but Beck was thankfully absent. She checked the kitchen where he was last time, no luck. Realizing the only place she hadn't checked yet was the balcony, Jade turned around headed back for the main area, turning left to the glass wall.

Beck was out on the balcony with a few other people who were smoking cigarettes. Beck had one that he was puffing on, and it was funny to see because he'd never smoked in his life. He was holding it all wrong and the smoke kept getting in his eye, and he apologized so profusely for ashing in someone's drink that he almost knocked her over in the process. The guys he was still hanging with thought it was hilarious, and the woman and her friend went back inside.

Jade stepped out onto the balcony and walked up to Beck, taking the cigarette from him and disposing of it in an abandoned cup with a little liquid left on the bottom. The two guys laughed again, taking a step back from Beck and Jade advanced to standing right in front of him.

"What's your issue, Beck?"

"What's _your _issue, Jade? I'm just trying to have some fun here."

"You're getting out of control. Is this because of Jennifer?"

Beck drained his umpteenth cup and threw it over the balcony.

"Oh, real nice."

"Get off my back, Jade. You can be a bitch to anyone whenever you want, people expect it even. You have no idea what it's like to be the calm, cool and collected guy all the time." Beck's mood had changed dramatically and his last sentence came out as more of a booming statement, echoing across the balcony.

The rest of the people who were out there with them put out their cigarettes and went inside, glancing sideways at the two of them as they passed. Jade looked down at her feet and took a few deep breaths.

"Beck, why don't you just come inside and get some water in the kitchen, we'll come back out here to the fresh air, get hydrated and talk a little bit."

"I don't want to talk, I want to drink. That's why I"m here."

"You know that's not gonna make anything better."

"That's rich coming from the girl I carried into her house last weekend cause she was too hammered to stand up."

"Yeah, and look how well that worked out for me."

"What's the problem? Tori forgave you and now you're even better friends than you were before."

"She might have forgave me but she'll never forget." Jade felt guilty even remembering that incident, and she was upset at Beck for playing it off like it didn't mean anything.

Beck ran his fingers through his hair and leaned back against the balcony wall. He picked up the cup next to him to find out it was empty, then threw it over the edge like the last one. Jade scoffed and tapped her foot with her arms crossed, getting more annoyed by the minute. After a few minutes of silence Beck opened his eyes and looked at Jade softly, like he was remembering a different time.

"What happened to us, Jade? How come we changed from how good we used to be?"

"Beck, please don't do this." Jade replied, pleading to him not only with her words but with her eyes as well. "We don't need to go down this road-"

"Maybe I do, okay?" Beck cut across, quickly bringing his thumb to his lips to bite his nail.

"Are you regretting breaking up with me now?" Jade asked, wishing she had another drink at that moment.

"I don't know. I mean, we had our issues sometimes, but we were good to each other."

The line hit Jade right in the gut, as it was almost exactly what Tori had said to her earlier that very same day. She chewed the words in her mouth, not sure what exactly to say to him. "You made it very clear that you were done with my bullying or whatever it was, and you were very clear about the fact that you deserved better."

"I said some things, yeah. Maybe I didn't mean all of them."

Jade's face flushed with anger and she was ready to scream right in Beck's face, but she held her composure and continued at a decent level. "_Maybe_ you didn't mean all of them?"

"I don't know. Maybe once you get over this phase with Tori we could try again?"

"What the fuck, Beck?" Jade got right in his face as she spoke. "This is not a phase. We talked about this. You know how I feel about Tori, and you know how I feel about you. You're drunk and feeling sorry for yourself, and you're taking it out on me. It's not fair."

"Jade, come on." Beck leaned down and kissed her on the lips at the same time Jade heard footsteps behind her. Beck broke away and Jade whirled around to see Tori and Andre standing in the doorway to the balcony. Tori squeaked out a little breath and turned around, jogging back into the party.

"Tori wait!" Jade went to run after her but Beck grabbed her arm.

"Beck, let go of me!"

"Come on Jade, let her go."

Jade struggled against Beck's grip, stopping when Andre walked forward.

"Beck, bro, let her go man."

"Stay out of it Andre."

"Beck man, you're losin' it, get a grip."

Beck finally let go of Jade who flew forward through the door to find Tori. Andre stayed with Beck on the balcony to make sure he was alright.

"Come on man let's go get some water-"

"Get off me, I'm fine." Beck shrugged Andre's arm off of his, walking into the house. Andre followed him straight across the dance floor to the entrance, then onto the elevator. They rode it down in silence, walking out onto the street to try to find any semblance of Tori and Jade.

Tori had ran to the car and was leaning against the passenger side door when Jade came down looking for her. She had consumed a few more drinks after Jade had went to find Beck, not being able to taste the alcohol over the sour. The buzz was kicking in and she didn't particularly want to talk, but she really didn't have anywhere to go. Thankfully Andre and Beck weren't far behind her, and when they approached Tori sought out Andre over Jade.

"Andre will you take me home please?" Tori asked in a stern voice, despite the sobs breaking through.

"Tori, please let me explain."

"Yeah chica I'll take you." Andre unlocked his car with the remote and Tori got in immediately, not wanting to hear anymore conversation.

"Jade can you take Beck?"

"He is _not _riding with me!" Jade shouted, on the verge of tears.

"Please, we'll sort this out later. I promise. I'll help you get everything back to the way it was, let's just get these two home."

"Fine. You, get in now. Andre, make sure she gets home safely. Please."

"I promise." He got in the car and started it, taking off seconds later.

Beck got in the car and slumped to the side. Jade got in and reached over to buckle his seat belt, then put her own on before starting the car. She'd only had two drinks, and between the time since the last one and the high emotions she was perfectly sober to drive. Andre had only had one drink so he was fine as well, relieving Jade's stress a little bit.

It was a little after midnight when Jade arrived at Beck's RV. She had to slap him a few times to wake him up since she couldn't carry him by herself. He looked around groggily for a second and then got out of the car, immediately stumbling to the ground and throwing up. Jade waited til he was finished and helped him up, slinging one of his arms around her shoulder.

She pushed him up the step into the RV and propped him up against the counter, shutting the door behind her. He was a mess, covered in vomit and spilled drink, cigarette ashes rubbed into his jeans. Jade walked him over to his bed and sat him down, pulling off his shoes and shirt. She laid him down on his side and planted the trash can next to the bed, giving one last look at him before she left. "I guess the tables have turned huh?"

Tori didn't say much of anything for most of the ride home. Andre put on some relaxing music and let her sleep a little, figuring if she wanted to talk she would initiate the conversation. About ten minutes from her house Tori looked over at Andre and watched him drive for a minute. He glanced over and smiled, putting his eyes back on the road.

"Hey chica, wondered if I was gonna have to carry you inside."

"No, I'm okay."

Andre turned the music down a bit. "I just have to say this to get it out there, but I don't really know what's going on with this whole situation."

Tori laughed at the realization that Andre was in the dark for this whole thing, and the laughter quickly turned into a warmth in her heart. Even though he had no clue what was going on, he still left the party and ended his good time for Tori, and didn't press the subject the whole ride home. She looked at her best friend with a new found sense of respect.

"Thanks for the ride, and for not harassing me about anything."

Andre laughed. "I figured you would let me know when the time was right."

"Well, Jade and I are...together."

"Like, for real together?" Andre's eyebrows almost disappeared on top of his head. "Never would have guessed."

"Yeah, we kinda worked out our differences, found out we had some stuff in common. Built from there."

"Well I guess this makes sense now. How did I not know that you were even interested in girls? I am your best friend. And I should say that I don't think that kiss was anything important. I think it was just Beck being drunk."

"Yeah, I think so too. It's just in the moment I was feeling good. I had a buzz from the drinks and the dancing, it was all pretty euphoric. I was happy to be dancing with you and just having a good time. Jade and I had a great day together, and it was all coming to a good end until I saw that. It just shattered everything in less than a second, and I just wanted to get away."

"Understandable. That said though, you gotta be the bigger person tomorrow and call her."

"I know. She's probably gonna be a wreck all night. Not to mention she has to deal with her parents."

"What's up with her parents?"

Tori didn't want to get into all the gory details, so she just skated over it. "She's gonna be on the hook for a bit over some stuff, nothing bad."

"Alright I got you." He didn't press the matter.

They pulled into Tori's driveway and Andre shut off the car, getting out with her. He walked to her side of the car and brought her into a big hug, holding her tight for a minute.

"If you need anything call me, alright? Anytime."

"Thanks Andre, you're the best."

He tapped her on the shoulder and got back in the car, heading out for his own house. Tori went inside quietly and shuffled upstairs, still a little tipsy from the buzz. She got undressed and barely managed to get pajamas on before she hit the bed. Before passing out, she sent Jade a text, feeling guilty for the whole scene.

_Jade – I'm sorry for the way I acted at the party. I hope you're not too upset with me. I love you. -Tori_

**A/N: Well this was a long one. I had the party written down as an idea, but no actual plan for it. I've actually been writing for a few hours now, I wrote from when Tori and Jade got coffee and went to the park until now all in one go. For every fluff, there's a hurt, so I hope you won't be too upset with this chapter. There was a little fluff left from last chapter that led into it, and more will come back soon. Also, the deal with Jade's parents will come at the beginning of next chapter, so don't think I forgot. One last thing, 50 reviews! You guys are great, and the reviews I've gotten so far have been wonderful. I try to reply to everyone, so if you leave me something check your inbox. Thanks for reading!**


	13. The Constant Variables

Jade made the final trek back to her house for the night, driving slowly to avoid getting pulled over. She was young, it was late and she had alcohol in her system, so getting stopped for speeding would be especially unwelcomed. When she finally pulled into her driveway, she noticed the light in the living room was still on, alerting her that her parents were still awake.

Great.

The house smelled like coffee, and the faint sound of the television could be heard from the living room. Jade had used the side door to try to sneak down into her room before her parents noticed, but apparently her headlights had given her away.

"Jade, come in here please." Her mom didn't sound happy.

Jade mouthed the f word, biting down on her lip hard. Both of her parents were seated in the living room, watching a late night news show with Anderson Cooper. Her dad was holding a glass of brandy and her mom cradled a cup of coffee, eyes trained on the TV.

"Okay, I'm here. What's going on?" Jade was nervous at her parents' failure to react right away.

"Sit."

Jade did as she was asked, taking a seat on the far end of the couch.

"You've been a pretty good kid, and want you to know we recognize that."

Jade got even more nervous, fidgeting with the bottom of her hoodie.

"You don't get in trouble, but you also don't really do anything extraordinary." Mrs. West sat her coffee cup down and folded her hands together between her knees. "You don't really help out around the house unless we force you. You're gone all hours of the night whenever you want without any phone calls or texts letting us know where you are or what you're doing. You have a bad attitude most of the time, and you take what we give you for granted."

"Now hold on a second-" Jade shifted in her seat, starting to get upset at this attack.

"Let me finish. You go to some laid back performing arts school, learning about acting instead of learning things that will actually help you in life. And on top of that, you're now deciding to make your life even harder by trouncing around with other girls? I don't understand why you're trying to set yourself up for failure."

"Who I love is none of your business" Jade shot back, feeling very protective of Tori. "She cares about me a hell of a lot more than anyone else in my life does."

"Now see, that's what we're getting at." Mr. West interjected, downing his drink and setting the glass on the side table next to his chair. "We do care about you and love you very much, which is why we're having this conversation right now."

"We're having this conversation right now simply because you aren't forward thinking enough to accept your own daughter no matter what. It's very sad."

"Jade." Mrs. Vega was stern. "We've come up with a couple options for you that we think are fair to rectify this situation."

Jade was suddenly very scared. She thought back to the conversation with Tori about possibly having to go live with her cousin or switch to North Ridge, and she was terrified at the thought of having to leave her. "Okay then, what do you have?"

Mrs. Vega made eye contact with Mr. Vega very briefly, clearing her throat. "Well, your first option is this: Stay at Hollywood Arts, but stop seeing that girl. We can't sit back and consciously let you one-two punch your future with both of those things, at least without some responsibility."

Jade's face fell, her heart was threatening to burst and tears were welling up behind her eyes.

"Second option: Transfer to North Ridge for the rest of your high school career and you can see the girl whenever you want."

"Her name is Tori." Jade said softly, trying hard not to spill over.

"The last option: Everything stays the same, you can go to Hollywood Arts and see Tori, except you get a job and all of the earnings go to us to help pay for your tuition."

"The last one" Jade blurted out immediately, knowing it was the best choice. She wouldn't have to move schools or stop seeing Tori, even though having to work would cut down on their time together significantly. The room stopped spinning a bit and Jade took deep, calming breaths, steadying herself for the rest of the talk.

"Fine. You have two weeks to find a job of your choice on your own. If you don't, you'll come to work at my firm as a secretary."

"Deal. Can I go now?" Jade stood up and angled towards the door.

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Thanks for the talk guys, always a pleasure." Jade strode past the both of them with speed, barely hitting the kitchen before the tears started to fall.

Her room was dark and cold, the blinds pulled shut and the heater set low. Fumbling for the light, Jade wiped her eyes on her sleeves and found the thermostat, bumping it up a few degrees until it kicked on. She straightened up her room a bit idly for something to keep her busy, tossing clothes in the laundry basket and making up the bed. Her laptop was open, telling her that her mom was probably snooping through it to find out where she was. The heater still made the room smell musty as it hadn't been used much yet, and the dust blown out gave Jade a bit of a headache. She grabbed the travel pack of Aleve from her purse and the water bottle from her bedside table, taking two to hopefully dull the ache before it really set in.

The events of the night took their toll, the fuzziness in her limbs coming back as she sat on the edge of the bed. Her phone poked out of her pocket, so she grabbed it and checked it almost robotically, her breath catching when she saw the new message from Tori. _I love you. _They hadn't said that to each other yet, even though Jade was sure that's how she felt. Knowing that Tori felt the same way was a great feeling, but the feeling was cut short in remembering that she would have to get a job soon, and their time together would be minimal. She opened up a reply, sitting quietly while trying to think of the right words.

_I hope you got home okay, I'm sure Andre took good care of you. I'm not mad at you, I was just upset at the situation. I told Beck not to go there, and he did. I'm sorry you had to see it, but I want you to know there's nothing there anymore, I promise. Good news from my parents, though. I can stay at HA and still see you but I have to get a job. I'll call you in the morning and we can talk about it. I love you too._

Tori woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. Between the drinks and crying in the car, the stress of the whole situation, her head felt like it was going to explode. She pulled the blankets up over her head and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. Glancing over to the other side of the bed where Jade had slept not so long ago, Tori reached out and rested a hand where her back would be, missing the pale beauty already. Realizing that nothing would get done staying in bed all day, she slid out from under the covers slowly, heading straight for the bathroom to try and shower some of the ickyness away.

Once she was out and dressed in some comfy Sunday clothes, which included some Pink lounge pants and an oversized t-shirt, Tori headed downstairs in an attempt to find something to cure her headache. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and downed the whole thing in one go, grabbing another to take some Aleve with. Trina was laid out on the couch watching some late morning talk show, gabbing on the phone with Tori guessed could only be Melanie. She had painted her toenails and the living room was currently suffering the outcome, with cotton balls and various other things strewn all over the couch and coffee table.

Tori sat at the kitchen counter for a few minutes with her head down, hoping the water would rehydrate and start working quickly. She head Trina groan on an on about some boy she liked that apparently had a girlfriend, but that wasn't going to stop her from going out with him. Tori shook her head at her sister, amazed at how the two of them could be related at all. Deciding on trying to eat something small to settle her stomach, she got up and grabbed some eggs and prepared to scramble them.

The little bit of food and water helped out immensely, and shortly after she finished Tori felt much better. Trina had hung up the phone and promptly left the house without a word, allowing her to take over. She sat on the couch and flipped through the channels, though nothing was ever on on Sundays. On one channel a woman was showcasing a huge, gaudy diamond ring, and she insisted that it was a steal at 24 monthly payments of two hundred and ninety nine dollars. Tori watched the light sparkle off the rock as her phone vibrated, and she brought her eyes down to look. It was Jade. She planned on calling her after she woke up and felt better, but Jade had beaten her to the punch.

"Hi." she squeaked out, soft and sweet.

"Hey. How are you?" Jade asked, her voice husky.

"I'm alright. I ate some eggs and drank a bunch of water, and I feel a lot better than I did when I woke up. You?"

"I'm okay. Didn't sleep very well though."

"I'm sorry for everything. I acted like a total spaz, I should have let you explain." Tori closed her eyes as she spoke, trying to will away the guilt.

"It's nothing, really. We're still getting comfortable with each other, I'm not surprised it happened. I just expected it would be me getting jealous over all the boys that hit on you." Jade smiled, knowing Tori would be shaking her head at that comment.

"Really Jade? You know that's not ever the case."

"I see guys drooling over you constantly Vega, you just gotta open your eyes a bit."

Tori smiled in spite of herself, changing positions on the couch. She couldn't help but feel like a giddy teenage girl talking about boys to her best friend on the phone, when in reality her best friend was a boy and her boyfriend was actually a girl. "Whatever you say."

"What are you doing?"

"Just laying on the couch watching TV."

"Do you mind if I come over? I want to talk about some stuff."

Tori got nervous and sat up. "Yeah, uh, sure. I'm here. Come over whenever."

"Okay, let me shower and I'll be there."

"Is everything okay Jade?"

Jade felt guilty, remembering how sensitive Tori was and how saying she wanted to talk would worry her. "Yes honey, everything is fine."

Tori grinned from ear to ear. "Okay, I'll see you when you get here."

Jade woke late after not sleeping well the night before, checking the time on her phone. She immediately thought of Tori, wondering how the rest of her night went. The whole situation made her feel guilty, even though technically it wasn't her fault. The look on Tori's face as she ran away burned into the back of her eyes and made her feel ill, she never wanted to see that look again. After seeing Tori at her best, she didn't want anything but happiness for her, and she wouldn't settle for anything but.

The text message from the night before was still open when she slid the lock on her screen, and the words _I love you_ jumped out again. Jade smiled wide, pressing the phone up against the fluttery feeling in her stomach. She got up and hit a series of buttons on the phone to call Tori, telling her she would be over after she took a shower. Setting the phone down on the desk, Jade grabbed some fresh clothes and hit the bathroom, trying to get everything done as quick as possible.

Once she showered and dressed in some jeans and a long sleeve shirt, a little bit of eyeliner and lipgloss came next with a quick squirt of perfume to close the deal. She grabbed her phone and keys off the desk and headed upstairs to find her boots. Her mom was gone but Mr. West occupied his normal spot at the kitchen island, drinking coffee while he watched the small TV. He had a bowl of assorted fruits he had cut up in front of him, and Jade snatched a couple grapes as she walked in.

"Hello princess."

"Good morning daddy!" Jade answered, dripping with sarcasm.

Mr. West laughed, used to Jade's morning antics. "What's on the agenda for today?"

"Well, since it's Sunday, job hunting wouldn't really be prudent. Therefore, I'm going to go hang out with my girlfriend, since that's okay according to the details of our contract."

"True, but make sure you don't slack off too much on the job stuff. Working for your mom would be, well, I don't think you'd really want to have to do that."

Jade smiled at the comment from her dad. The old man did understand her on some level, and sometimes his little quips were perfect for the situation. "I'll get it situated, trust me."

"Alright, I just don't wanna have to hear your mom go on about it forever. I mean I had a hand in the decision too, don't get me wrong, but you know she can go a little overboard sometimes."

"Yeah, I definitely know."

Mr. West laughed and ate a piece of watermelon. "You headed out?"

"Yeah, I'll be back later tonight."

"Alright kid, have fun."

"Bye dad."

Jade arrived at Tori's house about twenty minutes later and was instantly rattled. Beck's car was parked along the curb outside, and Jade could only assume that he was there to apologize for the night before. She parked on the far side of the driveway and got out slowly, taking her time to the door. Upon ringing the doorbell, she heard heavy footsteps and Beck answered, looking sullen and beat up. Jade walked inside and kicked her boots off by the door, spying Tori in the kitchen balling a melon. She smiled and Jade smiled back, instantly feeling better at seeing her face.

"Hey b...Jade."

"Hey Tor." Jade smiled at the embarrassed look on Tori's face.

"Beck stopped by a few minutes ago, said he figured you would be here and he wanted to talk to us both."

"Yeah, do you mind Jade?"

"I suppose not" she answered, walking over to the spot on the couch she had fallen asleep in the day before.

Tori finished and threw the rind away, grabbing the bowl and spoon before heading to sit next to Jade. Beck sat on the other couch adjacent to them, leaning forward on his knees. He looked like he had a lot of things to say but couldn't figure out where to start, and the anxiety running through him was painful to watch. Tori held out her spoon with a piece of melon on it for Jade, who smiled, leaning forward to take the bite. She winked at Tori with her head turned so Beck couldn't see, giving Tori a warm feeling of satisfaction.

"Well, I guess for starters, I should just flat out say I'm sorry. I screwed up. Jade, I gave you that whole spiel when you had your incident, and then I went and did the same thing. It wasn't fair of me to do that to that to either one of you. I just got a little lost after hearing that Jennifer basically just didn't even care. I'm not really used to women not, uh..."

"Fawning over you?" Jade interjected, but in a soft and understanding way.

"Yeah. I always try to keep cool, have good composure and just be the chilled out guy, and sometimes I feel like it's more stress than anything."

"Well, you know you don't have to be perfect all the time Beck." Tori added, setting her bowl down on the table. "We're your friends, anyone in the group will accept you for who you are, whoever you are."

"I know, I just needed to blow off some steam and went about it the wrong way. Grabbing Jade's arm and holding her when she tried to go after you was awful, and I felt bad immediately. I beat myself up over it in the car the whole way back until I fell asleep."

"We all do stupid things sometimes, but it's alright as long as it doesn't happen too often and there's no real damage done. You didn't hurt anyone, and you came here to apologize. That's good enough for me."

"And me." Tori added.

"Thanks guys, I don't deserve it but I appreciate it."

"Well now that that's over, what's going on?"

"Um, I don't really know. I can call the others and get everyone over here. We can play cards or watch movies or something."

"Whoopie" Jade proclaimed with little excitement, leaning into Tori's side.

Beck pipped up. "I'm in."

"Okay, I'll call around."

After Tori had made the calls, the rest of the crew were all on their way. She grabbed a few more chairs from the deck area and positioned them around the table, then found a deck of playing cards in the utility drawer of the kitchen island. Beck hit the kitchen and grabbed some snacks out of the pantry, filling a couple bowls with chips and pretzels. Jade sat on the couch and watched the two work like busy bees, smiling and waving when Tori looked over at her.

"You're somethin' else you know that?" Tori teased, flashing Jade the brightest smile she could.

"So I've been told" Jade mused, in awe of her girlfriend's beauty.

A little while later Cat and Robbie rang the doorbell, having arrived at the same time. Jade got the door and let them in, heading out to the kitchen to help Tori get drinks. They grabbed a few bottles of vitamin water and gatorade and set them in the middle of the table along side the snack bowls. The newcomers shed their protective footwear and treked to the table, finding seats along the edge.

"Hi Tori!" Cat beamed, giggling like her usual self.

"Hi Cat" Tori cooed, smiling at the girls' bubbly personality. "What's up Robbie?"

Robbie was tapping his PearPad like crazy in search of something. "I," he paused momentarily, "am head of the prom committee."

"Really? How'd you manage that?" Jade asked with an air of actual interest.

At that time the doorbell rang again and Beck made to let Andre in. The two boys came over and sat at the table with the rest of the group, waiting for Robbie's explanation.

"Lane said the girl who was supposed to do it has to leave the country, something to do with her father being an ambassador or some other fancy thing. I was there when he found out, so I volunteered and he accepted."

"Hey kids." Andre said loftily, smiling at everyone.

A chorus of "Hey Andre" echoed around the table.

"So uh, Tori and I are...dating." Jade blurted out, staring down at the table. "I just kinda wanted to get that out of the way." She looked at Tori and laughed, mostly out of stress relief.

Everyone looked at each other slowly, eyebrows raised. Andre and Beck smiled while Cat kinda turned her head to the side like she was thinking a lot, and Robbie just shook his head in a yes motion.

"The theme is gonna be classic forties noir" Robbie added, turning his PearPad around to show a concept image of the gym made up like an old detective movie. Jade and Tori both smiled at the nonchalance of the event.

"Oh! I really liked The Maltese Falcon! This should be fun." Tori smiled, genuinely excited.

The others nodded their agreement, grabbing drinks and snacks in between. Tori dealt out the cards for a game of Blackjack, and the conversation continued as they played. An hour or so went by, and Blackjack had turned into War between Jade and Tori while Robbie showed Cat more concept images so she could design an outfit and Beck and Andre talked about highlights from a football game. Cat wanted to design the perfect femme fatale dress for the dance, and she used Robbie's PearPad to sketch out an outline and emailed it to herself until everyone recongregated.

"You guys want to put in a movie or something?" Tori asked, putting the cards back in the deck pack.

"I'm game" Beck said, standing up from the table.

"Sounds good" Andre added, grabbing the snack bowls and moving them to the living room.

Tori put the cards back in the utility drawer before heading into the living room, taking the spot against the arm of the couch. She turned to the side and extended her right leg straight out so Jade could lay against her between, and they snuggled up together while Beck and Andre found something to watch. Tori grabbed the blanket that draped over the top of the couch and shook it out over them, reaching around and putting her hands over Jade's on Jade's stomach.

Beck and Andre chose Dumb & Dumber, one of Jade's favorite comedies. She smiled when the beginning started, knowing exactly what it was. Tori snuggled into her neck and kissed it gently, making Jade's body stiffen against hers.

"Tori," she whispered, "our friends are here."

"Yeah, well they're all sitting in front of us aren't they?" Tori whispered back, a wicked grin on her face. "You said I would have to pay you back sometime."

Jade smiled wide, a fluttering in her chest from the mixture of fear and excitement.

The movie got into full swing and everyone was laughing, sharing snacks and making comments. It felt really good to be with the whole group again Tori thought, especially since everyone was comfortable with the changes. Beck was okay without Jade, everyone was okay that Jade and her were together, and they could all hang out again like old times. She traced small circles around Jade's belly button with her finger, making her body squirm. Jade grabbed Tori's free hand and lifted it to her mouth, nibbling on the end of her index finger. Tori felt electricity shoot through her whole body, and Jade used her other hand to run her fingers up and down her thigh.

Everyone was focused on the movie, so Tori made her move. She leaned in and planted a couple kisses along Jade's neck, cupping her lips in an o shape and sucking a little, The hand Jade was using to massage her thigh suddenly gripped hold tightly, telling Tori that she was doing something right. She dragged the tip of her tongue along the slope of her neck, pecking tiny, silent kisses down her shoulder blade. Jade was getting really antsy in her spot, so Tori slowed down a little hoping no one would notice their movements.

After a minute she resumed again, kissing and sucking on the same spot of Jade's neck before baring her teeth, sinking her tops into Jade's skin gently at first, dragging them just over the top. Jade had taken the side of Tori's index finger into her mouth, breathing silently into her hand. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the feeling of Tori's teeth in her neck, aching to feel the pressure of a bite. Tori sensed this when Jade tried to push back into her mouth, so she sunk her teeth down harder, leaving bite marks this time. A little bit of purple started to appear between the indents, and Tori smiled at her handiwork.

Cat had dozed off on the floor, and Robbie was concentrating on petting her head. Andre and Beck were entranced in the movie, so Tori used the opportunity to up the anty. She walked her fingers down from Jade's belly button playfully, undoing the button of her jeans in one swift movement. Jade sucked in a sharp breath, attempting to turn around and look at her. Tori put her hand on the side of Jade's face to stop her, returning to work on her neck as she felt for Jade's zipper, tugging it down slowly. Jade bounced and squirmed in her seat, and Tori couldn't help but smile at the effect she had on the girl.

Once Jade's pants were undone Tori slipped her index finger under, playing with her panty line. Jade had taken her other hand and was planting kisses up and down her arm, learning all of the soft curves of her body. Tori adjusted her arm and slipped the rest of her hand inside Jade's panties, causing her to buck her hips up a little. The blanket slipped on the top side and Tori giggled a little as she repositioned them so it wouldn't fall. She felt the smooth mound under Jade's bottoms, learning that the raven haired beauty shaved clean. She smiled at that fact, learning they had something else in common. Tori made the final stretch and cupped her hand over Jade's center, and by the way Jade's body reacted Tori slammed her hand over her mouth quickly to stop a moan from escaping. They froze still and Tori dropped her hand, smiling as Beck looked back to see how they were doing. Tori made eye contact with him as her middle finger was pressing right against Jade's entrance, and the thrill of the moment just served to make her even more wet.

Jade whimpered a little into Tori's arm, fidgeting her hips. Tori took this as a sign to continue, swirling the tip of her finger in Jade's wetness before tracing her inner lips from top to bottom. Jade's whole body vibrated as Tori explored her sex, feeling the heat radiate between Jade's center and her hand. She traced the tip of her finger down and around Jade's entrance before bringing it up and around her button in a figure eight motion. Jade rocked her hips back and forth in unison with Tori's hand, returning to kissing up and down her other arm. Tori slowly brought her hand out from Jade's panties, causing her to whimper again. She smiled hugely behind Jade's head, and just before she could turn around to see what the issue was, Tori stuck the tip of her finger in her mouth, sucking on it right next to Jade's ear so she could hear it.

Jade's whole body racked with a shiver, and Tori returned her hand to where it was. She continued the tracing motion for a minute or two, then took the plunge and inserted her finger inside Jade. Jade's bottom half rose in an arc, and Tori pushed down with her palm to try to keep it from being so obvious. She curled her wrist to bring her finger back out and inserted it again, working to find a good rhythm that Jade enjoyed. They got into a groove after a minute, Tori curled her finger and raked the tip across Jade's top wall, causing her to hiccup little moans into Tori's arm. Tori used her other hand to massage Jade's shoulder, eventually feeling down and cupping her breast. She squeezed lightly and ran her thumb back and forth over the nipple, causing it to harden and poke through the shirt. Jade leaned her head back into the crevice of Tori's other shoulder and relaxed, breathing deeply. Tori added a little more pressure, pushing down by the nipple and massaging in circles while her other hand worked below the belt. Occasionally she would pull her finger out to circle Jade's button more, pressing down hard as she flicked her finger over it from side to side. Their bodies rocked together very gently for a few minutes until Tori noticed Jade's breath quickening, doubling the pressure on her button. Jade bit down on Tori's wrist hard, arching her back up into Tori's palm as the waves crashed over her again and again. Eventually her breathing slowed and her body collapsed against Tori's, and the two girls just laid with each other while they tried to catch their breath. Tori slowly brought her hand back up, trying not to brush Jade's skin too much, knowing how sensitive she was at the moment. On it's way up Jade grabbed the hand and brought it to her own mouth, sucking it clean before placing her arm gently at her side. Tori leaned forward and kissed her neck again a couple times, squeezing Jade as tight as she could.

"I love you" she whispered, smiling into her shoulder.

"I love you too, babe." Jade answered quietly, almost on the verge of passing out.

"I hope that was sufficient payback."

"Yeah it was pr..g.." Jade's words slurred together as she basked in her dazed glory, and Tori laughed softly in her ear.

When the movie ended Andre and Beck got up to stretch while Robbie shook Cat awake, helping her up off the floor. Tori and Jade Threw the blanket back and got up as well, relishing in the feeling of stretching their muscles. Everyone cracked and groaned a little bit, making them laugh at each other. It was rounding three o'clock, and the rest of the group decided to head their separate ways to spend some time with their families before going back to school the next day. Tori stood outside to see them off, and when she turned to head back inside she saw her mom's car in the garage. She figured her mom was at work since she usually worked weekends since her dad had moved out, but obviously if her car was there she was there. As they stepped back in the house Jade went for the bathroom and Tori headed upstairs, wondering what the situation was.

Tori knocked on her mom's door, waiting for a response. None came, so she opened the door quietly and peeked in. Mrs. Vega was still in bed, and the room was darkened with the blinds shut. Tori walked in and closed the door over, stepping up to the side of the bed.

"Mom? Are you okay?"

Mrs. Vega stirred a bit, rolling over. "Yeah baby, I'm okay."

"It's three o'clock, I thought you were at work."

"I decided to stay home today, I wasn't feeling well this morning."

Tori looked around the room and noticed a special suitcase on the floor next to the bed, the one that held all the family photo albums. "Do you feel better now? Do you want me to get you something?"

"No sweetie I'm okay, you don't have to do anything. I'm just catching up on some rest."

"Yeah, you've been working a lot lately. It's good to catch up on sleep sometimes."

"I'll be up for dinner, promise."

"I'll make something for us and come get you when it's done. Couple hours."

"Okay sweetie."

Tori turned around and shut the door lightly behind her. Downstairs, Jade was sitting on the couch watching another infomercial on the TV. Tori sat down next to her and leaned into her shoulder, closing her eyes for a little bit.

Around four thirty Jade decided she should go. Her parents had been on edge with her lately and she wanted to make sure she kept things at least partially civil until she found a job. Tori sat up yawned a little, drained from lounging all day.

"Hey Tor, I'm gonna head home. My parents are touchy with all this going on and I don't want to upset them until I have stuff in order."

"Okay. Thank you for coming over." She smiled sweetly and squeezed Jade's knee.

"My pleasure, I promise you that." Jade winked and stood up.

The two walked over to the door and Jade slipped her boots on, then walked over to the kitchen counter to grab her keys and phone. Tori waited by the door and watched her walk, eyeing her features hungrily.

"Text me later." Tori held out her arms for a hug.

"You betcha" Jade replied, bringing her in for a tight squeeze. She stood there for a long minute, holding Tori close to her. Jade rubbed Tori's back softly and ran her cheek across her shoulder, savoring her silky smooth skin. The smell of vanilla and coconut made her smile as she leaned back and kissed her girl, playfully massaging her tongue for a quick second.

"I love you."

"I love you too, dollface." Jade opened the door and walked through, closing it behind her.

On the way home Jade decided that coffee would be a good idea after being lulled half to sleep by a mind shattering orgasm, courtesy of her beautiful girlfriend. Going home for dinner was the better choice, but just showing up wasn't enough, so she headed for the familiar shop on the corner by her house. She parked on the side of the road and got out, heading up to the empty window she knew so well. The same woman as usual came up from the back, smiling when she saw her.

"Hey Jade."  
"Hey."

"Usual?"

"Yeah that'd be great. Say, do you need any help around here?"

"Such as?"

"Well my parents told me I need to get a job, and I figured since I'm here every day anyway that maybe I could work a few days or something, give you some time off."

"Interesting. Well, let me go over my books and see what I'd be able to pay you, and next time you come up we'll talk it over."

"Awesome, thanks."

"Anytime kid. Have a good one."

"You too."

Jade hopped back in the car, hopeful that she would be able to work the coffee shop instead of having to work at her mom's firm. She drank coffee every day, how hard could it be to pour it into a cup for other people? The prospect of a job gave her something positive to give to her parents are dinner, which lifted her spirits immensely.

At home, Jade walked in through the front and kicked her boots off in the mud room, heading straight for the kitchen. Her parents were in the usual spots, sharing a bottle of wine while Mrs. West cooked up some fajitas. Jade entered the kitchen with a smile, setting her phone and keys on the end of the island before grabbing a vitamin water from the fridge.

"Hey guys" Jade said, taking a drink from her bottle.

"Well hello my child, thank you for gracing us with your presence today." Mrs. West drawled theatrically.

"I might have a job." Jade looked at her parents hopefully.

"Really? That was quick." Mr. West sounded impressed. "Where at?"

"The Bean n Gone up the road that I go to all the time. I talked to the woman there and she said she would look things over and see about giving me some hours."

"Well then, that's a good start."

Jade smiled and took another sip of her drink. "I'm starving, that smells great."

"Well I say we go eat it then." Mrs. West turned to head into the dining room with a sizzling skillet.

Tori looked through the fridge and the kitchen cupboards for what to make for dinner. She found chicken breast in the fridge, so she decided to pan fry it and cut it into strips for a chicken salad. Before getting started she ran up to her room and grabbed her PearPod, bringing it down to the kitchen and plugging it into the dock. She started a random playlist and washed the chicken breasts off, trimming the fat from the edges. After she cut the strips she lined the pan with a little olive oil and dumped them in, sprinkling a few fresh cut herbs over top to add taste. As the strips cooked, she grabbed the salad out of the fridge and dumped it into a large bowl, setting the Italian dressing down next to it. Once the chicken was cooked in the middle she wiped the oil from pan, searing the strips on high heat for a minute before dumping them into a separate bowl to cool for a minute. She turned off the burner and set the pan off to the side, heading upstairs to get her mom.

Mrs. Vega was awake already, and when Tori knocked on the door she acknowledged and told her to come in. She had the suitcase open on top of her bed and was looking through some old photographs. Tori walked in slowly, taking in all of the images in front of her.

"Hey sweetie, smells great. What did you make?"

"I cooked up some chicken strips for a salad. It's all ready to go."

"Great, I'm starving."

Mrs. Vega got up off the bed and headed for the door, but Tori walked further in and up to the bed. She scooped up all the photos and put them back in the suitcase, picking it up to take downstairs with them. Tori discarded the suitcase on the couch and headed back to the kitchen, moving the salad and chicken bowls to the table while Mrs. Vega grabbed the dressing and some forks. They set up their meals and began, nodding their appreciation for the nourishment.

"I've been asleep almost all day, my stomach was practically screaming at me. Thanks for cooking, this is really good."

"You're welcome." Tori smiled as her mom ate, happy to see her enjoying something.

When the meal was finished Tori cleaned up, refusing her mom's help at the task. She grabbed the bowls from the table and rinsed them off, setting them gently in the dishwasher. She returned the dressing to the fridge and grabbed some apple juice, pouring it into a small glass and returning the container.

Mrs. Vega was in the living room going through the suitcase on the table. She had all the packages of photos out in front of her to go through, and was separating the doubles into separate piles. Tori walked over and sat on the opposite couch, watching as her mom looked at each photo and put them in their places. She saw some old photos from their trips back east to see family when Tori was younger. She had a cousin that lived in Massachusetts, her mom's brother. He was her mom's only sibling so they would go there every other year for Christmas. Being able to see the snow and have snowball fights accounted for some of her favorite memories growing up, since there was no snow in LA. Sure it snowed in Northern California, but they never went up that way.

The first photo she grabbed was of Tori and Trina in snow suits, trying sledding for the first time on a big hill in her Uncle's backyard. Trina had a snowtube and Tori had a toboggan, and they raced each other down the hill. Trina usually won since she was bigger and could gain more speed, but that also meant she fell over more. At the end of the day she would be really sore and Tori would be just fine, and Trina always got mad at her over it.

The next photo was many years later of a family reunion. Tori and her mom were manning the grill, both of them with their arms out flexing like their girl power was going to end hunger. Tori laughed at the photo as she held it, remembering almost everything about that exact moment. The tastes, the smells, the people that were there. She searched around and found more photos from that day, and she grabbed one where her dad had her up on his shoulders, and her Uncle had Trina up on his shoulders in the pool, and Trina and Tori were hitting each other with water noodles American Gladiator style. She remembered hitting Trina in the face and the game being over very quickly, as Trina was a diva even at a younger age and insisted that Tori was trying to punish her for being the prettier sister.  
"Mom, you remember Trina freaking out about me hitting her that day?"

Mrs. Vega grabbed the picture and looked it over, smiling instantly. "Oh yes, I remember that very well. Your sister was a peach even at twelve years old."

The two women laughed together, and Tori continued looking through the photos. "Why do you have all these out?" she asked, wondering what prompted her mom to take a trip down memory lane.

"Well, sometimes old women like me like to go through things that remind them of younger days."

"Old women? Mom you're forty. You're a spring chicken compared to some of my friends' parents."

Mrs. Vega laughed at the comment. "You're sweet. But you're only as old as you feel, and lately, I've felt pretty old."

In that moment, the lines of stress and hard work really showed, and Tori felt a sadness in her heart. She looked at her mom as her eyes flickered from photo to photo, holding on to the memories of when their family was still bright and new. A mixture of pain and love, satisfaction and regret. Her facial expressions changed depending on the scene in the photo. She'd smile, sometimes laugh, or even look like she was about to tear up. Tori walked over to the other couch and moved some of the photo packages and sat down next to her, holding her hand.

"Well mom, even though things are a little different now, we'll figure it out. You and dad have been talking and stuff, so who knows? Maybe we can be back to at least some semblance of normal before you know it." Tori smiled sweetly, trying to cheer her up.

"My baby, always the optimist. You know, I've attributed your good nature and willingness to see the good in everything to your miraculousness."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, you almost didn't make it, kiddo. When I was in labor with you you were real stubborn. Didn't feel like coming out." Mrs. Vega laughed as she looked up towards the ceiling, her eyes seeing something that Tori couldn't. "Trina shot out like a cannonball, ready for everyone to know who she was and what she wanted. But you, you were slow but sure. When you finally came into the world, though, you weren't breathing. I remember being worried because you weren't crying like babies usually do when they're born, so I asked the doctor what the problem was and he said that your pulse was low and you weren't breathing on your own. A few hours later they finally let me get up, and me and your dad went to the NICU and saw you in your incubator. You were so small and fragile. The nurses told me it was uncertain at first, and that if we had any family in the area that would want to see the baby we should call them in that day. I cried my eyes out for hours, and your dad stayed by my side the whole time. Eventually the nurse came back and told us that you were making some progress, and the outcome had turned for the better. You were going to be fine, and we just had to wait until you were ready. I've watched you grow piece by piece since then from a shy little girl that wanted to be attached to my hip twenty four seven to a beautiful young woman that's flourishing at a performing arts school. I knew you had the potential to be great, but as it's always been, it had to be when you were ready."

Tori felt like she was going to burst into tears. She'd never heard any of this before, and the way her mom relived that memory in the moment was almost surreal. Mrs. Vega looked at her daughter with tears welled up, smiling at her baby girl. Tori brought her into a hug, trying to put as much feeling into it as she could, to tell her how much she appreciates her and everything she does. Her mom patted her face lazily with a smile, turning back to the photos on the table. She put the doubles in separate bags before returning them to the suitcase, then closed it up and flipped the latches.

"I love you kiddo, no matter what."

"I love you too, mom."

Mrs. Vega grabbed the suitcase and stood up, heading for the stairs. "Now that I've had something to eat and plenty of rest, I actually am going to rip through a few case files before tomorrow. If you need me I'll be up, so come on over."

"Okay."

Jade scarfed her dinner down in what seemed like minutes. She liked fajitas, and after Tori's little stunt earlier and coffee on an empty stomach she was feeling ravenous. Her parents laughed at her and her dad told her to slow down, but she kept at it.

"You're not going to prison or anything tomorrow that we don't know about, right?" Mr. West joked, sipping his wine.

"Nope, just hungry."

"Well I'm glad you like it" Mrs. Vega said, smiling as she finished her own plate. She stood up and made for the kitchen when Mr. West handed her his plate as well, sliding his chair back from the table.

"Can I have this then?" Jade asked, pointing to the leftovers with her fork while speaking through a mouthful of steak.

"Sure, if you think you can eat it."

"Thanks." Jade huffed down the rest of it in record time, sitting back in her seat for a few minutes basking in the warm glow of a full stomach.

Once she was well fed and hydrated, Jade bid her parents adieu and retired to her room. It was only around six o'clock, but after the long day she'd had and the good meal resting in her, she would be down for the count after a good movie. She went through her DVD case and grabbed her copy of Scream and popped it in, then slipped into some pjs. She watched the whole movie through, rapt with attention as it was one of her favorites, relishing in each kill. By the time the end came she actually felt more wired than when she started, deciding to check The Slap for a bit and see what was happening.

Beck had run into Jennifer again, and apparently she tried to play like nothing was wrong. When Beck told her she was busted at the mall, she basically told him to get real if he thought they were exclusive. Jade felt terrible for him, knowing that even though he wasn't really serious about her in the beginning that Beck wasn't the kind of person to just play with people like that, and the whole thing kind of made her upset.

Cat had left Jade a message saying that she wanted to hang out soon and work on some dress ideas for Prom, so Jade left her a message. "Kitty Cat, I'm pretty sure I can stop by tomorrow night. I'll let you know in school."

Robbie and Andre both had just basic messages saying they were chill. Robbie was just hangin' in for the night and Andre was working on some tunes. Tori however, was a bit of a different animal. She didn't even have an update, which was weird since she usually got at least one short one in there. Today, nothing. Jade chalked it up to the long day and shut her laptop, making her way to the bathroom for the end night routine. When she finally slipped into her bed she got a text, and when she looked she noticed it was Tori.

_I just wanted to say I'm really really lucky to have you. You have no idea how lucky. Thank you for loving me. -Tori_

Jade smiled so hard she thought her face really would stay that way, and the sentiment almost made her cry. She laid there for a second, staring at the message. There were a lot of things she'd done wrong in her life, but loving Tori Vega was definitely not one of them. She still wondered why the girl even loved her back, and what she did to deserve it. But as long as no one was asking questions she didn't have to provide answers, so she replied back and tucked in to sleep the night away.

_I think I'm the lucky one here. You're the yin to my yang, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you too. -Jade_

**A/N: So that whole scene on the couch was completely unplanned. It just kind of came out, so I hope it went okay. I liked it personally, I hope you do too. I'm surprised this chapter is even done right now, barely a day since that last monster chapter. I guess you guys bring it out of me. I know some people might have issues with the smut turning into drama at the end the way it did, but you know, real life is weird like that. Thanks for reading!**


	14. Spaces Between Days

The next morning came quickly. Tori got up and began her daily routine, showering and dressing warmly. Mondays weren't particularly spectacular for anyone, so a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a short jean jacket would do the trick. She wasn't sure what the week would bring, so checking the contents of her bag sounded like a good idea. Her usual objects were present. Empty notebook, spare pen, nail kit, emergency feminine products and some chapstick. She refilled one of the pockets with floss and cotton balls, then grabbed the spare nail tools in the bottom and put them back in the case.

Next was to head down and debate on eating something. Trina was at the table with a bowl of cereal, texting away on her phone. She was totally oblivious to Tori entering the room, almost jumping out of her seat when the sound of the fridge alerted Tori's presence.

"Jesus Tori, you need make some noise or something."

"I'm not an elephant Trina. If you weren't so attached to your phone you would have heard and seen me coming."

"Ugh." Trina dumped her bowl in the sink and left it, heading for her shoes.

"You on the other hand _are_ an animal." Tori scoffed, rinsing Trina's bowl out and putting it in the dishwasher.

"Whatever you say skinny. I'm leaving." Trina waved behind her head and walked out the door, letting it slam behind her.

Tori shook her head and exhaled slowly, wondering what she had done in a past life to deserve a sister like Trina. The house was quiet and still, no settling noises or creaks from wind. Trina had eaten the last of the Raisin Bran so Tori decided on a yogurt and banana, eating the latter in the car on the drive to school. Monday traffic was as mundane as ever, everyone yawning and looking in their mirrors slowly and bleary-eyed. She passed a guy that looked like her was literally sleeping behind the wheel at a red light, so she honked on her way by and he startled in an 'I'm up! I'm up!' fashion. It was early enough when she arrived that the parking lot wasn't full yet, allowing her to find a decent parking spot not far from the entrance.

Andre and Cat were hanging out by the steps looking at a Sky Mall magazine that Cat happened to be obsessed with, and Beck was talking to a friend by Tori's locker. Robbie and Jade weren't around yet. Tori went to her locker, passing Beck and nodding with a polite smile, not saying anything as she didn't want to interrupt his conversation. She set her bag down on the bottom of the locker and grabbed a couple dollar bills, intent on just grabbing some juice from the machine and heading to class.

On the way through the central area Jade made her entrance, causing Tori to slow and change her plans of just going straight to the R&B Vocals room. She switched directions and walked towards Jade, who looked somber and even a little upset. Tori wasn't sure what could have her upset before the first class of the day had even started, but whatever it was she would try her best to fix it. Jade smiled weakly as she walked down the stairs and Tori felt her heart drop a little. She hated seeing Jade anything but happy.

The ivory skinned woman walked silently to her locker, putting a few things in and taking a book out. She fiddled with her bag a bit and it looked to Tori like she was trying to busy herself, which told her that Jade probably didn't want to talk about it just yet. She walked over to her locker and put soft hands on Jade's waist, trying to comfort her.

"I'll be here if you want to talk about it, okay?"

Jade smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I know."

Tori turned to walk away but Jade grabbed her arm, pulling her back. She leaned in and kissed her square on the lips, in front of the ten or fifteen kids in the middle of the hallway. Everyone stopped to look, but neither of them cared. Tori wrapped her arms around Jade's waist and kissed her back, feeling warm inside when she snuggled into the crook of Jade's neck. They held each other for a minute or two before Jade stepped back, smiling a little more convincingly.

"You better get to class, I don't want you to be late."

"Kay." Tori said, returning her smile. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Jade waved as she turned to head for her Playwriting class. A couple boys were still standing on the side, staring at them when Jade walked by. She yelled in their faces, startling them enough that they all looked down at the floor and walked away quickly. Tori laughed and shook her head, amazed at how fast Jade could switch gears. Jade winked at her before rounding the corner, and Tori headed off to class on a good note.

Jade woke up early for no real reason. It was still dark in her room and she was warm and comfortable under the covers, but she knew if she stayed in too long it would throw off the whole day. The normal morning routine went as it did everyday, the mundane and seemingly unnecessary tasks always made her wonder what people really did thousands of years ago, and how people ever mated with each other before hygiene was a thing. She brushed her teeth quickly and grabbed her phone and keys on the way through her room, deciding on going to get coffee before she went to school.

The stand was pretty busy on Monday mornings, so Jade waited off to the side while the line died down. She didn't really mind being late to school, no one ever said anything to her about it. Hollywood Arts was the kind of place where if wanted to just sit in the library instead of go to class that was fine, since the teachers didn't really want to pander to kids who didn't want to be there and your tuition was already paid anyway. They would do anything in their power to help you succeed, but if you were late or skipped some classes it wasn't a big thing.

Jade got up to the counter and the woman smiled when she saw her. She grabbed a cup and made Jade's usual, having known it since the third time Jade visited. The cup steamed generously as the hot liquid met the crisp late September wind, spiraling into the air in big swirls until the lid was closed over the top. She slid the cup into a heat sleeve and set it on in the counter, smiling as she usually did. The woman looked pretty happy to be there Jade noticed, even though she was _always_ there.

"Have you checked out your books?" Jade asked, looking hopeful.

"I did, I gave it some thought last night when I was having dinner with my son. He was telling me he wants to play Soccer this year, so I think having some help here would be great."

"And I need to find a job ASAP, so it's pretty nice that everything kinda fell into place."

"Yeah it is. I don't have a whole lot of room in my budget right now so I can't give you a ton of hours, and benefits are a pretty laughable subject, but I think this place would suit you pretty well."

"Sounds good to me. When do you want me to start?"

"Well I need you to fill out some paperwork first," she bent down under the counter and grabbed a few stapled pages and slid them towards Jade, "then bring them back to me. You can start today after school if you want. I'll run you through the register and all of that."

"Cool, I'll be here around three then?"

"Works for me. I can have you on three to ten today, Wednesday and Friday. Friday is the day that Soccer orientation happens, so now that I have you on I can actually take Dom and get him set up. He's gonna be so excited." She smiled wide and it made Jade feel good.

"Thanks for the opportunity, I'm glad to help. I don't even know your name."

"It's Jenae. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Jade."

"Yeah, I spoke with your ex boyfriend a few times when he came to get your coffee." She smiled at the underlying joke of boy talk at work.

"I sent him here quite a bit, didn't I? Oh well. I gotta get to school, I'll see you later."

"Alright, have fun."

"Loads." Jade rolled her eyes with a smile as she walked back to her car.

Since she would arrive at school a bit later than everyone else and work started earlier, Jade didn't hit much traffic on the way. Still, she took her time on the way, enjoying the tranquility of the early morning after-rush. There was a strip she passed on the way to the school that attracted a lot of people on the weekends. A few bars, some fancy clubs with huge dance floors and large bouncers that weren't afraid to hurt people. Jade had remembered walking down that way with Beck one night to laugh at the drunks, which was a past time of hers, when two guys were thrown out of a club literally by the scruff of their necks. The ladies they were with stayed inside, which made the whole situation even funnier to Jade. She listened as the men swore up and down at the bouncer, saying all they wanted to do was dance with their new girlfriends and not waste their pretty dresses. All of a sudden a few things happened at once; Jade thought of dances and dresses, flashing back to her day at the mall with Tori. She remembered Prom on Friday, and how excited Tori got about big events like that. Lastly, she remembered how she had just told her boss she would work on Friday.

Fuck.

The day had gone from solemn and tranquil to overly stressful and upsetting in three seconds flat. Jade needed the job to appease her parents and stay in Tori's life. She couldn't tell her new boss that just gave her a chance without even really knowing her that she all of a sudden couldn't work the one day she was really needed, just to go to a school dance. This was about the woman's son. Jade knew she was gonna have to break the news to Tori, and the sooner the better, but she wasn't really happy about it.

The parking lot was full which forced Jade to park way back and walk in the harsh wind. The prospect of crushing her girlfriend on the first day of the week was daunting, but she knew Tori would want to know. _Maybe Tori would be able to find someone else to go with? Would she want to go with someone else? _Jade didn't like the thoughts that were occurring to her at that moment, but the truth was Prom was important to a lot of girls, and she knew Tori was that kind of girl.

Jade entered the front doors intent on hitting her locker and going to class, and when the first thing she saw walking through the door was her impossibly beautiful, doe-eyed love of a girlfriend, she instantly felt chest pains. Breathing in deep and exhaling slow, Jade made her way to her locker, smiling at Tori as she passed, trying to put up a good front. Tori didn't seem to be very impressed by it, and the look on her face made her feel worse. She assorted her things and made to head for class, when Tori mentioned she would be there to talk. Jade felt hot knives in her stomach which gave the sensation of stomach cramps during a hangover, making her feel like she was going to throw up. She answered as sweetly as possible, which wasn't very sweet at all. Tori turned to leave with a sour expression, but Jade couldn't leave it that way. The look of disappointment in her girlfriend gave _her_ the feeling of disappointment, just on a much larger scale. Not being able to bear the feeling, Jade felt a brash move spark from brain to fingertips, and she moved on it immediately, grabbing Tori and kissing her in front of everyone watching. The feeling morphed very quickly from pain relief to rapid breathing, from guilty conscience to pure love and even heat. She broke off the kiss before it got too out of hand and told Tori to head to class, exchanging their I love yous and heading in opposite directions. Jade felt particularly irked by the boys who were still watching, having recognized one of them from her Math class. He stared at her a lot and it made her really uncomfortable, and she could only imagine what the scene that had just played out would do for him that night. Jade shrugged, disgusted, and yelled in frustration at them as she passed. Rounding the corner with one last look at Tori, she saw the smile that Tori gained when she acted like the old Jade, winking back and disappearing with more guilt in her than she could stomach.

The first few classes of the day were slow and boring. Tori was nervous about what Jade was upset about, but she didn't want to push the issue. Jade would come to her with anything if she needed to, Tori trusted her on that. They didn't have the best communication in the beginning, but after Jade's mishap at the premiere and Tori's childish disappearance at the party they had gotten a lot better at trusting eachother's judgments. Obviously she was upset, but what could it be about? They'd just been together the night before, what could have possibly happened between the night before and that morning? Jade's parents were definitely a factor though, and Tori wondered if they had maybe changed the deal or added something to it that was bad for them, although she was sure that Jade would have come out with something like that immediately.

The pressure of trying to pay attention enough to take sufficient study notes and figure out what might be bothering Jade was giving Tori a headache. She tried to stop fussing over the situation, knowing it wouldn't do any good, but she felt tied to Jade as Jade did to her. Jade was very protective over Tori, making sure her parents knew that Tori had a name and she was part of Jade's life during their talk of the deal. Tori felt like she was hooked with Jade emotionally. What Jade felt, she felt. If Jade was upset or sad, Tori couldn't turn her empathy off and would often be just as downtrodden until they figured it out together. It was both a romantic thing and an annoying thing, depending on the day and the situation.

Tori left R&B Vocals without even saying anything to her best friend, and it was obvious Andre sensed her stress. He let her go though, on the same basis of trust. She headed straight for Pop Vocals and sat in her seat, getting out her phone. She opened up The Slap to keep herself busy, checking updates from the group. Cat was home sick for the day. She said her stomach bubbles wouldn't stop popping. Andre and Robbie both said they weren't really ready for another week of school, and Beck said he was looking forward to some "me" time to just relax and be himself for a while. Jade didn't really post much, so it was no surprise to Tori that there was nothing new under her profile.

Lunch came and everyone gathered in Sikowitz' class as usual. Beck and Andre were the only ones with food when Tori walked in. Jade was leaning back against the wall in her chair with her eyes closed and earphones in. Robbie was having a hushed conversation with Rex about vocalizing his underwear changing habits in public. He looked up when Tori walked in and read aloud from his PearPad that Cat updated her Slap page, saying she was drinking ginger ale and she felt better. Everyone nodded their acknowledgment and returned to what they were doing. Tori sat in her normal seat and faced forward, not really feeling like talking. She leaned forward and yawned, her hands covering her face. A few moments later the sound of Jade's boots made her look up, finding herself eye level with Jade's crotch about 6 inches from her face. Her eyebrows raised with a smirk and Jade laughed as she sat down.

"Tor, I got a job at the coffee stand."

"That's great, Jade." Tori smiled and squeezed Jade's knee.

"Yeah it is, but there's a problem."

Tori was nervous but tried not to show it. "Okay, what is it?"

"Well, Jenae gave me my schedule. I start today after school from three to ten, then the same hours on Wednesday and Friday."

"Okay, so what's the issue?" Tori was confused.

Jade smiled as softly as she could. "I wanted to ask you to be my date for Prom, but I can't go."

The rest of the group in the room smiled a little sadly, trying not to listen in but it was difficult in the quiet room. Jade's sentiment took them all by surprise, as her soft side didn't really come out, especially at school. They were glad she finally softened a little bit, even though she still had her times, and not being able to share the important event with Tori made them all feel bad. Tori let out a breath of relief. She was expecting something much worse. Still, the news was upsetting, but it was manageable.

"Is that all? I'm okay with that."

"You are?"

"Yeah. You got a job so we could be together without your parents causing a ton of issues, and now you have to stick with your commitment. I understand."  
"I figured you'd be upset." Jade felt a little better about the situation.

"I would have liked to go, sure, but I understand the circumstances. I wouldn't want to go with anyone else but you."

Andre and Beck smiled at each other on the other side of the room, happy that their two best friends were happy together. Jade reached over and hugged Tori, glad that the weight was lifted from her shoulders. The others continued their conversations and the girls joined in, laughing about some post Trina made relating to a boy she liked and a seaweed face mask. The bell rang and everyone got up to leave, saying their temporary goodbyes before they had the last two hours of the day together. Tori crushed up against Jade again, squeezing her hard to show her appreciation. Jade stroked Tori's hair gently, impressed as ever.

"The dance is just a dance, we can have our own Prom in my room on Saturday night."

"I love you, you know."

"I promise I won't tell anyone." Tori teased, smiling wide.

Jade laughed and pecked Tori on the lips, then took her hand and led the way to Screenwriting class.

The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. Tori wasn't anxious about bad news anymore, but the fact that she'd be staying home for her junior Prom made her a little sullen. She would never tell Jade that, though, as she had already sacrificed enough for their relationship. Tori could at least put on a front help the situation along. Screenwriting seemed to blow by and Sikowitz didn't really have anything planned, letting them mostly sit around and talk. Towards the end of the class when everyone was comfortable he jumped out from behind the curtain and demanded Beck and Andre stand up and act out scene, claiming that Beck was a young African American boy who had been freed from Slavery and Andre was his former master. They'd met in a bar years later and shared a drink.

"But uh, Sikowitz don't you think I should be-" Andre started.

"Nonsense, do it like I asked." Sikowitz interrupted, looking amused at the confused expressions on their faces.

The boys did their scene and everyone watched with attention, interests peaked at the turned tables. They had a table set up like a bar and they each sat in a chair facing the class, swirling pretend drinks. Andre looked over at Beck several times while Beck stared straight forward. Sikowitz acted as the barman and walked over to Beck waiting for him to pay his tab, and when he reached for a coin Andre stopped him.

"I'll get this one."

"I suppose you owe me one, don't ya Mr. Anderson?" Beck downed the rest of the glass and made to get up, but Andre protested.

"I do, and to be honest I owe you more than one. Sit down, son."

They emulated an 1880's conversation with the best formulated grammar they could, trying to make the scene realistic. Tori and Jade sat hand in hand and watched. Jade leaned in to Tori's side and listened to her soft, rhythmic breathing; it was very calming.

"I could apologize to you, but I don't think you would believe it."

"Hard to believe anything from a man that treats another man like an animal."

Andre downed his drink and raised his finger signaling another round. Sikowitz poured another fake drink and slid it over to him.

"I've done some bad things, Curassa. You were at the end of a lot of them, and while you may not believe it, I'll pay the price. I'm paying it now and it'll continue every day, until I leave this place forever."

Beck looked shocked, playing to the fact that he had used his given African name instead of his new American name he received when he arrived. "God judges everyone eventually, Mr. Anderson. If you truly believe you've done wrong and try your best to correct your mistakes with the time you have left, you may not be doomed after all."

Beck got up from the table bar and headed for the door. Andre grabbed his arm and looked him square in the eye, hesitating for a moment.

"You're a better man than I'll ever be, son. I'm sorry."

"So am I." End scene.

Everyone clapped fervently and Sikowitz beamed with pride. The two boys smiled and took small bows as they headed back to their seats, the bell ringing mid-stride. The group scooped up their bags and headed for Study Hall, chatting animatedly about the scene. Andre told Beck that he did all young african americans proud, and everyone laughed loudly. The Study Hall room was empty when they got there, and about five minutes or so after the bell had rang the teacher hadn't shown up. There was only a few other kids in the class besides the group, and everyone just talked and went about as normal. Lane came in about ten minutes in saying their normal teacher had to leave because of a family emergency so he was going to sit in for their class.

Jade doodled on a blank piece of paper while Tori reviewed notes for her Science class. Everyone else was either sleeping with their head down or doing something on their phone. Jade watched Tori as she reviewed, smiling to herself at the way her tongue stuck out of her mouth a little when she wrote. She got lost in watching the brunette beauty, soaking in the view of her determined eyes and chiseled cheekbones. Tearing her eyes away grudgingly, Jade grabbed the application and consent forms for her new job from her bag and set them on the desk. She filled each page out one by one, restapling them when she was finished. Before long the bell rang signaling the end of the day, which meant Jade had to go to work. Everyone put their things away and spilled into the halls, heading for their lockers. Tori put her stuff away quickly and moved over to Jade's locker. She wanted to say good luck before her first day at work. Jade put her one book back and kept her bag, pulling a brush through her hair a few times before closing the locker door.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna head home first and grab something to eat and then head in."

"You know I appreciate this, right?" Tori asked, looking very serious.

"I know. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't want to." She smiled warmly and extended her arms.

Tori walked into them and closed her eyes, breathing her in deeply. She didn't care if people were staring. All she cared about was the girl in her arms, and that was enough. Jade broke the hug so she could go, kissing Tori lightly on the lips twice. They exchanged I love yous and Jade headed off to her car.

Her house was empty still and the silence was pressing. The windows were all shut and the air seemed stuffy, stagnant. Jade headed into the kitchen and opened the fridge, surveying the contents to find something edible on the go. She didn't see much besides Hot Pockets, and though that wasn't really what she wanted, she put one in the microwave anyway, knowing that if she went to work at a coffee shop without eating anything all day she would regret it. The food came out piping hot and Jade laid it on the counter, grabbing some water out of the fridge. It only took about ten minutes to walk to the coffee shop so she didn't feel it necessary to drive. The wind was gone for the most part, so the walk was pretty enjoyable. Jade nibbled away at her food as she scanned the area around her, watching moms pushing kids in strollers and people walking their dogs. The sky was full of sun, which actually kind of irritated her.

She arrived at the coffee stand and threw her wrapper in the trash, walking around to the left side of the building where the door behind the counter was. It was locked, so she knocked and waited for Jenae to answer. It only took a minute and cheery redhead came out, holding the door open for her. The space behind the counter wasn't very big, since there wasn't really a lot of room needed. Some counter space for the coffee pots in the back, along with a fridge on the end and the counter space in the front for the cash register and little bits and bobs, like the newspaper, gum and sometimes pastries. Jade took in her surroundings quickly, making a mental note of where she saw certain things she knew she would need a lot, like coffee filters, cups and lids. Jenae finished with the customer at the window and turned to Jade, clapping her hands together and smiling. Jade tried to return the same smile but it just wasn't there, remembering that she was going to have to be here on Prom night and how that made Tori feel.

"Jade, glad to see you here."

"Glad to be here honestly. If I didn't get this job I was probably going to have to be a secretary at mom's office. She's a corporate accountant, bunch of stuffy rich people in suits and ties."

Jenae laughed. "Yeah, doesn't really seem like your scene."

"Definitely not. So what do you want to start with?"

"Do you have that paperwork for me?"

Jade lifted the flap on her bag and retrieved the forms, handing them over.

"Excellent." She looked through them and made sure they were all filled out. "Looks good to me. I'll file these away and we'll get started with the register."

Jade walked up and checked it out. It was an old style register with big buttons and a small screen for totals. Next to it was a credit card machine that looked a lot newer than pretty much anything else in the store. On the opposite side were gift cards and business cards, a toothpick dispenser and a few boxes of small candies. The newspaper occupied the end cap of the counter on the right side, with a basket of saran-wrapped cheese danishes on the left side. Jenae walked over and took her spot behind the register while Jade stood a couple steps to the right.

"Okay. This register is really basic. Everything has a set price, and the prices don't really change. For cash, alll you gotta do is look at what the customer has, key in the numbers for each price and then hit total. Tell them what the total is, punch in the number for how much money they give you and hit the cash out button. It'll show the return amount on the screen and push the drawer open, then you just count back the change and shut the drawer when you're done."

"Sounds easy enough. How about cards?"

"Same deal in the beginning, key in all the prices and hit total. Tell them to swipe their card and follow the instructions on the screen. When it's done it'll print a receipt, ask them if they want it, and you're done."

"Wow. I think this job and I are going to get along great."

Jenae smiled and laughed a bit. "Don't be fooled, though. There are times when you'll be so backed up that you think the line is never gonna end, and then when it does you won't have any more customers for sometimes hours, and by that time you're almost begging for people to come by and give you something to do."

"Can I have my PearPod on during those times? Or read or something."

"Absolutely, just make sure if you have earphones in that you take them out fully before you deal with a customer."

"Okay, sounds reasonable."

"Yep. Here is a list of prices, take it home with you and keep it around. It'll help you remember quicker."

"Okay, thanks." Jade stuffed the sheet in her bag. "Where should I put this?"

"There's a bathroom right over there in the back. You can't let customers use it because we aren't equipped to provide an environment that's up to state code for a public restroom, so it's just for me and you. There are hooks on the wall in there for coats and bags."

"Alright."

Jenae had known Jade enough over the past few years to know when something was bothering her, and she watched Jade go through the motions, but she knew her head was somewhere else. "What's the matter, kid? You seem upset."

Jade felt bad that she let it show. She was trying to be as complacent as possible in the workplace, especially with the issue at hand. She looked at Jenae and smiled, trying to pass it off. "It's nothing, really. Just something with one of my friends."

"Well, there's only the two of us here with this shop. We've talked a bit in the past, and I don't want me being your boss now to make that change. I hope you feel like you can trust me to talk. There's only the two of us here with this shop, so if we're gonna make the best of it it would help to be friends, yeah?" She nudged Jade softly with her elbow and Jade laughed.

"Yeah, you're right. I didn't want to say anything because it's gonna make both of us feel bad. I totally spaced when you gave me my schedule this morning and said I would work Friday, when Friday is our Prom."

"Oh man, I knew that too but I guess it slipped my mind. I can stay and-"

"No! No, it's okay. I mean, I heard how excited you sounded about your son getting to play Soccer and I don't want to take that away from either of you. It's only the junior Prom, I'll have another chance next year, but you only get to watch your son grow up once."

Jenae held a hand over her heart, looking at Jade like she was gonna tear up any second. "That's so sweet of you!"

"I told my girlfriend at school today, she was upset even though she wouldn't show it but she said it was okay."

A customer came up to the window and Jade wanted to take the opportunity to make an impression. She asked if she could take this one, and when Jenae looked around her to see the customer, she nodded, watching from the side. The customer looked over the menu for a minute while Jade watched, standing a step back from the register as to not be intrusive. She had recognized him from seeing here a few times before but didn't know his name. When the man was ready he looked at Jade and smiled.

"Hey, how are you today?" Jade asked, smiling back.

"I'm good, thanks. Nice that the sun is out again."

"Yeah, should put a little more pep in some people's step. And speaking of pep in your step, I assume that's why you're here?" She smiled at the caffeine joke, feeling lame on the inside.

The man laughed. "Yes ma'am, I'll take a large hazelnut, five and five."

"Good choice, that's my usual." She bent to grab a cup and set it on the counter, looking for the right sized lid.

"Well I must say you have good taste then."

Jade smiled and took the cup to the back counter, pouring coffee in from the spout. She looked at the stand next to the coffee pot with the assortment of creams, finding the blue tops marked Hazelnut. She quickly emptied 5 of them into the cup, searching for some sugar.

"There's a liquid sugar spout on the other side of the coffee pot." Jenae pointed out, and Jade moved over to it. There was a button on the front.

"Push and release it quick for one, repeat as necessary."

Jade did as such, pressing the button five times quick. Once all the ingredients were in she spotted the swizzle sticks next to the creamer, grabbing one to stir everything up on the walk back to the counter. She deposited the stick in the trash and set the coffee down on the counter, grabbing the lid.

"Oh can I get an ice cube in there please? Takes forever to cool down."

"Sure" Jade said, turning back to the fridge. Jenae was already en route to the freezer, bringing the ice cube tray up to the counter. She twisted it and broke the cubes loose, popping one up and dropping it very slowly into the hot liquid. Jade grabbed the lid again and secured it to the top, make sure it wouldn't pop off.

"Would you like a sleeve?"

"Sure."

She slid the cup into a heat sleeve and slid it towards the man, keying the numbers into the cash register since she already knew how much they cost.

"That'll be one eighty five."

"Here's two." The man handed over two one dollar bills.

Jade keyed in two dot zero zero and hit cash out, reading the fifteen on the screen for change. She grabbed a dime and a nickel and handed it back to him, shutting the cash drawer.

"Thank you. You did really well for your first time."

"How did you know?"

"Jade, this is my brother Paul." They both smiled at Jade's confused look.

"I live right down the road from here so I come by every day, help my sister out, talk to her for a little bit you know."

"That's cool" Jade said, genuinely touched by the family bond they had. "I wish my family was awesome like that."

"Yeah, we're pretty lucky." Jenae said, nodding her head.

"I'm out of here sis, I gotta head uptown and hit the Secretary of State before they close."

"Good luck, traffic sucks over there right now."

"Don't I know it." He looked over at Jade. "Thanks for the coffee."

"You got it."

He waved at Jenae and walked off, and Jenae put up her hand for a high five. "I didn't plan that, by the way."

"_Sure._" Jade drawled out her sarcasm with a smile.

"You did really well though. All you gotta do is learn the rest of the prices and you'll be golden."

"I hope so. Hey what happens when people are scuzballs or try to rip me off? Can I yell at them or do you have a long sharp object I can use?"

Jenae laughed at what she thought was a joke, sobering up quickly when she realized Jade wasn't kidding. "Uh, we'll work on that."

Jade worked the rest of her shift with Jenae, switching places at the helm for each customer. When they got a bit of a line, five people, Jenae let Jade see how she would handle it. She did well, only having one mishap, which was putting french vanilla cream in a regular coffee, but the other four were just fine. The afternoon went on and once the rush from people getting out of work was over, the period of downtime that Jenae had described earlier set in. The two of them hung out and people watched, trading observations.

At the end of the night Jenae showed Jade how to count down the drawer and write out a bank deposit slip. She talked her through it once and let her try, surprised when Jade got it right on the first shot. They gathered up the money and put it in the bank envelope along with the deposit slip and zipped it up, grabbing their bags on the way out.

"The deposit goes to Western Trust, which is two streets over that way." She pointed off to the left.

"Yeah I've passed by it. Do I have to go in?"

"Nope, there's a drop box in the side of the building right by the door. You need this key," she popped open the register and lifted the money plate, revealing a key underneath, "and Just make sure your slip is in your pouch and drop it right in the slot, and make sure it goes down."

"Well, I think I got most of it."

"You did really well for your first day. Won't have a problem at all leaving you for the afternoon on Friday." She smiled and patted Jade on the shoulder.

Jade nodded her thanks and smiled back, cringing on the inside at the mention of Friday.

"I'll do the drop tonight since I live that way anyways, and, uh, I'll see you on Wednesday at three."

"Thanks Jenae, I really appreciate it."

"Me too, kid. I'd love to have a day off."

They smiled and waved to each other, heading in separate directions.

Tori headed home from school and kicked her shoes off at the door, plopping down on the couch. Jade wasn't around and the rest of the group didn't really seem too keen on doing anything. Cat was still feeling icky from earlier and that left Tori out of options. She was a little sour still about the dance, having played up a big scene in her head after going dress shopping and everything. She loved the whole idea of getting really dressed up and having her hair done to look really special for Jade. The girl that meant everything to her. But of course in life not all things come to the perfect end, and Tori accepted defeat.

There was nothing to do so Tori decided to just put in a movie she'd seen a thousand times and veg. She grabbed some carrots and ranch from the fridge and some vitamin water, setting them on the living room table. The DVD case full from front to back, but there was usually only a couple that she watched repeatedly. Her copy of Sixteen Candles was probably going to stop working soon she had seen it so many times, but it was one of her favorites. She put the DVD in and laid back with a blanket and her snack, enveloping herself in the movie experience.  
After the movie it was rounding five o'clock. Tori shut off the TV and got up, stretching her arms and legs. She headed into the bathroom and when she came out the sound of the door alerted her to someone's presence. Mrs. Vega walked in and kicked her shoes off, looking exhausted and worse for wear. She laid her briefcase on the table and sat down, yawning deeply.

"Hey mom."

"Hey kid."

"You okay?"

"Yeah I'm alright, just tired."

"Hungry? I was thinking of making something."

"I can order pizza. Something cheesy sounds good." She smiled at Tori and pointed at the fridge. "Grab me the list."

Tori handed her the food number list and she scanned through it for Pizza Hut, locating the number and dialing It. She ordered pepperoni and sausage for Tori and a mushroom and onion for herself. The delivery would take about a half hour so her mom used the time to run up and take a shower, coming back down a few minutes before the door bell rang. Tori answered and let the woman in, taking the pizza and sitting it on the counter. Mrs. Vega gave the woman two bills and told her to keep the change, wishing her a good day on the way out.

The two women ate in silence for the most part. Mrs. Vega looked stressed, like maybe she wasn't getting enough sleep. Tori was worried about her but didn't want to push the subject. They had a pretty good relationship when it came to those things so she figured it couldn't be too bad or her mom would tell her. After a while though the silence got to her, and she decided to ask what was going on.

"Anything happening at work?"

"Just business as usual. Some tough cases."

"I see. Nothing out of the ordinary though?"

Mrs. Vega laughed. Tori was always so obvious when she was fishing for something. "I'm fine baby girl, just some things I have to work out."

"Okay. I'm here though if you want to talk alright?"

"I know, I appreciate it."

They finished their meals and retired on the couch in the living room. Mrs. Vega surfed the channels a bit until they settled on a marathon of Tru Calling. Tori snuggled into her mom's side, not really watching the show even though she liked it. There was a lot on her mind, and being in a comfortable space was always the best way to try and work through it.

After the first episode Tori got up and went to the kitchen, fetching ice cream for the two of them. She grabbed the strawberry and french vanilla both and two spoons, not bothering with bowls. She sat down and handed her mom the vanilla one, digging into the strawberry she loved so much. They switched half way through the episode and had a bit of the other kind, eventually finishing what was left in each. Tori tucked back in to her mom's side and closed her eyes. Thinking of Jade, she reached for her phone and opened a text message to send a little something.

_Hope work is okay and it's not too cold out there. I love you to pieces._

She sent the message and closed her eyes again, eventually falling asleep. Around nine thirty Mrs. Vega shook Tori awake gently and helped her upstairs to her bed, pulling back the sheets so Tori could fall right in. She covered her up and walked around to the side of the bed, running her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"I love you Tori, no matter what."

"I love you too mom."

Jade walked inside quietly, thinking her parents would be asleep. The lights were off except for the kitchen so she went in through the side door and headed for the fridge. She hadn't really eaten much that day and was kind of hungry, especially after learning all the new information at her new job. She opened the fridge and found a plate with tinfoil on it on the top shelf. It was ribs and mashed potatoes and corn. She smiled at the heartiness and slipped the plate into the microwave, waiting impatiently for it to cook.

She sat at the kitchen island and turned the little TV on that her dad loved so much, catching some news while she ate. A local man had saved a neighbor's house from burning down when she wasn't home by noticing smoke and calling Fire Rescue before it got too bad. A grocery store clerk was fired for spitting on a customer that yelled at her for going too slow, and the live video was her rant. Jade finished up and rinsed her plate off, putting it in the dishwasher.

She headed down to her room and stripped, changing into pajamas and getting into bed. She plugged her phone in by the bedside table and noticed she had a message. When she read it it made her smile bigger than she had all day. The perfect reply came to mind and she opened up a reply, typing it up and setting the phone on the table, drifting off with a smile on her face.

_Good night or good morning, depending on when you get this. My night was fine, thanks for taking the time to check. Hope you don't freeze on the walk from your bed to your shower. ;)_

**A/N: Sorry I was a little slow on this one. I think there's only going to be 3 chapters or so left. I know I said I was going to do the Tori chapter where we learn about her, and I will, but it'll most likely be the chapter after next. (16) There wasn't a whole lot going on this time as Mondays are kind of a drag and everyone is usually tired and a little sulky, so that's how I wanted it to come off. I hope those of you that have stuck around are still enjoying and can make it to the end with me, I'm gonna try my best to not disappoint. Thanks for reading!**


	15. Already Elsewhere

**Quick A/N: I remembered that Tori's Dad's partner actually had a name, and it's Gary. So I went back and edited the previous chapters from Andrew to Gary. Just wanted to mention to avoid confusion.**

Tori didn't sleep very well that night. The beginning was fine, she fell asleep in the living room quickly and slept hard for about two hours, but a bit after being taken up to her room she woke up. Staring at the ceiling was only captivating for about three seconds, and Tori was getting frustrated. She would fall back asleep and be out for maybe a half hour or an hour, then be wide awake again. It happened about five or six times throughout the night, and when she finally did fall asleep it was at an inopportune time. The alarm clock went off and she was oblivious to it, having finally knocked out for a while. Finally waking up a few hours later, the alarm clock read nine twenty, meaning she was late for school.

Tori flew out of bed at the speed of crop growth, dragging her feet to the closet. The clothing selection was vast but there was even less time with her rate of movement, so a random top and jeans were going to have to do. She dressed quickly, yawning the whole time. Downstairs the house was eerily still. No one was home and the TV was off, and the natural light from the windows and skylights made the room look like a show house, like no one actually lived there and it was maybe a TV set. The sun shone brightly through the patio doors on the west side of the house, illuminating the counters and causing the plants to cast broad shadows over the floor. Tori raced to the door and put her shoes on quickly, almost falling over in the process. Before heading out she thought better of it and grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl on the edge of the kitchen island, knowing that starting the day off late and with no breakfast would be a surefire disaster.

Once at school the stress of being late had died down a bit, though the worry of being disciplined had traded places hastily. Lane was usually a pretty understanding guy when it came to handing out punishments, and Tori hadn't ever been in trouble before, so she took solace in the assumption she would be forgiven. Her Pop Vocals class was already half over by the time she arrived, and the teacher waved her to her desk without missing a beat. The rest of the class was basically just listening to vocal rest theory and then practicing a few bars of whatever they wanted to sing.

Eventually the bell rang and Tori headed to her locker for the first time, getting her things in order and grabbing some money to buy a drink. The machine was out of water so she turned to head out to the Grub Truck, passing Beck on the way out.

"Hey Tor, where you goin'?"

"Machine's out of water, going to the Grub Truck real quick."

"Alright, I'll see you at lunch."

"Kay."

The Grub Truck wasn't technically open, but Festus was an odd guy and he seemed to be there all the time, even after school was out. Tori walked up and knocked on the window, jumping backwards a bit when Festus popped up immediately. He smiled and slid the window open, popping his head out to look side to side, then sat back down.

"Can I have a bottle of water?"

"Sure you can. That'll be one dollar."

Tori handed him a crisp one dollar bill.

"Thank you." He put the money in the drawer and turned to the cooler, grabbing a bottle and setting it down on the small metal counter.

Tori reached up and grabbed it. "Thank you."

Festus slid the window shut and sunk down below where Tori could see. She walked away shaking her head slowly, willing herself to not think about it too much.

Science went by quickly and the bell signaled lunch. All of the kids shot up from the desks with a renewed energy that seemed to be missing during class time, and the teacher shook his head with a smile. The hallways packed quickly with students rushing to find some source of nourishment. Tori maneuvered easily though, having had 5 months of practice. On the way to Sikowitz' room she noticed a Halloween poster on the wall, and thinking it was too early for such festivities she raised an eyebrow questioningly. In Sikowitz' room Beck and Andre chatted quietly about a band they both liked coming out with a new album while Cat drew on her PearPad. Jade and Robbie weren't there yet, so Tori took a seat next to Cat.

Cat was coloring a little piece of fabric on the screen, placing patches in different spots to test color swatches on her design. Tori grabbed her phone and opened The Slap, realizing that the date was October first. Suddenly the Halloween poster made a little more sense, especially in a creative place like Hollywood Arts. Nothing was really going on so Tori posted a little update saying she was on lunch at school and that she missed Jade, closing the browser and putting her phone back in her pocket. Jade and Robbie walked in one after the other shortly after. Robbie was droning on about being the head coordinator for the Prom, saying he wanted some of Jade's décor suggestions. Jade as per usual continued to ignore him like he wasn't there, sitting next to Tori.

"Hey, where were you this morning?" Jade asked, sipping her coffee.

"I didn't wake up until like nine thirty. I had a hard time sleeping and turned my alarm off."

Jade smiled. "Vega being late for school? Pretty _and_ rebellious."

"I am not!" Tori scoffed, hitting Jade's leg lightly.

"Not what? Pretty or rebellious?" Jade taunted her further, tongue in cheek.

"Both." Tori said, playing her own game of cat and mouse.

"Oh stop" Jade drawled, grabbing Tori's knee, "you're beautiful and you know it."

"You guys are _so cute_!" Cat squeaked, getting louder at the end of the sentence.

"Thanks kitty" Jade said, smiling over at her.

The group converged to the middle of the room and sat together, going over ideas for the dance. Tori and Jade sat back and watched as they weren't going, so they had no input. Occasionally Cat would ask them about her dress and Robbie would ask for ideas on music. Andre was tasked with the playlist for the night, but none of them really knew a whole lot about swing or crooners. The conversation continued until the bell rang and everyone separated as usual.

The latter half of the school day went pretty standardly, and when the final bell rang Tori waited by her locker for Jade. The hustle of bodies trying to get out as quickly as possible to continue doing whatever they did outside of school was loud in her ears, and the whirlwind of gasps and shrieks from the different small cliques of students melded into one high pitched buzzing. Jade finally appeared at her locker and Tori strode over quickly. She watched as her girlfriend did as usual, sorting out her bag and stuffing books into odd corners. Jade shut the locker door and turned smiling to Tori, jutting one hip out to the side.

"Do you want to hang out today?"

"Absolutely" Tori said, beaming complacently.

"I'll follow you to your house then. Lead the way."

Jade listened to a few songs on her PearPod on the drive, relaxing a bit. Getting home at ten is a bit of a bummer, since she didn't want to go to bed first thing but school came early. They both pulled into Tori's driveway and headed inside, going straight for the kitchen. Neither of them had eaten much of anything and were feeling the lethargic effects of their decision. Tori grabbed a tin of pumpkin roll from the fridge she hadn't noticed before and set it on the counter, grabbing a fork for each of them. The sweet and spongy dessert was a nice treat, and Jade smiled her appreciation at Tori.

The sunlight from the patio was still shining brightly, warming their skin in the glow. Tori closed her eyes as she chewed slowly, savoring the rush of nourishment converted to energy. Jade couldn't help but stare as she tipped her head back, following the slope of her neck with her eyes. She cut a piece of the pumpkin roll with her fork and reached forward to pick it up with her fingers, smiling softly when Tori opened her eyes. Jade lifted the piece of bread to Tori's lips and she opened them, allowing Jade to drop it on her tongue. She used her tongue to move it to the side of her mouth and closed her lips around Jade's finger, sucking off the frosting with a quick wink. Jade sucked in a deep breath and brought her arm back to her side, eyes still on Tori.

"So beautiful, and full of fire..." She trailed off into Tori's eyes.

Tori blushed hard seeing the serious look on Jade's face. Most of her comments were light-hearted with a smile or something awful directed at someone else, but this was something real, something from deep down. The atmosphere was thick. The two girls looked at each other without moving, playing possum. Tori got up and walked around to the other side of the island where Jade was sitting and sat on her lap, legs off to the side and arms around her neck. Before Jade could say anything she leaned forward and kissed her hard, tangling her fingers in the back of her hair. Jade wrapped her arms around Tori and hugged her tight, kissing back with equal energy. They feather eachother's tongues lightly, tasting cinnamon and pumpkin. Tori reached down and rubbed her hand up and down Jade's side from her hip to her ribs and across her stomach, and Jade practically purred into her mouth. She stood up with Tori in her arms and carried her over to the living room couch, laying side by side. Tori ran her fingers through Jade's hair gently while Jade rubbed from her hip to her thigh. She reached over quickly and grabbed a handful of Tori's ass, squeezing hard and pulling her body close as she nibbled on her bottom lip a bit. Tori let out a squeak and Jade smiled, kissing down to her neck.

They continued to press into each other with an urgency, tangling legs and arms and tongues. Jade had started to play with the button on Tori's pants, causing her to become rapidly short of breath. As soon as she took the go ahead and undid the button there was a knock on the door. Jade let out a low groan that rattled into a growl at the end, making Tori laugh loudly. Jade got up and straightened her clothes and Tori followed suit, buttoning her jeans and straightening her hair. She took a few calming breaths before walking to the door, which was a good idea seeing as even after taking a second she was still wobbly on her feet. The shadow outside the door was large and she wasn't really sure who it could be, opening the door to find out.

"Hey kid." Mr. Vega greeted with a smile.

"Dad!" Tori jumped forward and pulled her dad into a hug, pulling him inside the house. "How are you?"

"I'm good kiddo, I'm good. Hi Jade."

"Hi Mr. Vega" Jade smiled, suddenly not as upset when she realized how happy Tori was to see her dad.

"Well I came to see if you wanted to have dinner or something. I talked to your mom and she said she wasn't gonna be here for dinner so I thought I'd come by."

"Yeah dad that sounds great."

Jade was happy to see Tori so happy and figured she would give them some time. "Alright, I'm gonna head out so two can talk and have some time together."

"It's okay Jade you can stay." Mr. Vega said, motioning over to Tori. "If it's okay with Tori, I don't mind."

"Yeah Jade, stay." Tori smiled.

"Thanks but I should probably go. Working during the day is gonna take away from my homework time so I should probably use my days off to get most of it done. Thanks for the offer, though."

"Anytime." Mr. Vega said.

"Text me later then?" Tori asked, grabbing a box from the pantry.

"Of course. Nice to see you again Mr. Vega."

"You too, Jade. Take care."

"Drive safe, I love you." Tori smiled as wide as she could.

"Promise. I love you too."

Jade headed out and Tori grabbed a few other ingredients to make pizza. She mixed the dough and kneaded it for a while while Mr. Vega watched intently. He rounded to the fridge and grabbed some vegetables to chop for toppings, setting a green pepper and tomato on the cutting board and grabbing a knife. They worked in silence for a few minutes while Tori stretched out the dough and sprinkled some cornmeal at the bottom of the pan. Mr. Vega chopped the veggies swiftly and scooped them into a measuring cup for easy distribution.

"So how've you been, dad?"

"Good. Just been working. Haven't really been doing much else. This whole thing has kinda taken it out of me."

"I'm sorry. It's hard for me, I know it's gotta be even harder for you."

"I'll be alright Tor. Your old man is resilient." He smiled and grabbed the cheese out of the fridge.

"That's true, you never really were the kind of guy to just lay down."

Tori grabbed a ladle and used the bottom to spread out some sauce. Once it was coated to the edge of the crust she rinsed off the ladle and set it in the sink, grabbing the cheese and opening the bag. She sprinkled a couple handfuls in a circular motion from the outside in, making sure all of it was coated evenly. Mr. Vega shook the toppings out evenly over the cheese and Tori added a little more on top. The dishes were all discarded in the sink and the pizza stone was lowered into the oven.

"So you said you spoke to mom? How often do you guys talk?"

"Not a whole lot, but our jobs cross paths from time to time. I'll see her at the station every once in a while getting information from someone on a case or seeing a client."

"Makes sense. What about Gary?"

Mr. Vega set his jaw and looked angry for the smallest hint of a second. "I don't really see him much either. I requested a new partner."

"I'm sorry, you probably don't want to talk about this. I'm an idiot."

"No it's okay doll, you have questions and I understand that. It's just the whole thing is still a little raw. I don't want to keep any secrets from you. You're an adult, and this situation affects you as much as it affects your mother and I. I'll do my best to answer them, but don't ever feel like an idiot for asking questions."

"Thanks dad." Tori walked around and gave him a big hug, and he leaned down to kiss her on top of the head.

There was about twenty minutes before the pizza would be done so they sat in the living room and turned on the TV. The five o'clock news would be coming on shortly and Tori was like her dad in that she liked to know what was going on. They watched the last ten minutes of an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond and segued into the news. A strike related to Union organization had caused a factory to shut down. A convenience store clerk was shot during a robbery and the big Halloween shop was now open for business.

"That guy's an ass." Mr. Vega piped up, pointing at the TV.

"The robber?" Tori asked.

"Yeah. He's in our jail right now. Likes to spit on guards and urinate everywhere."

Tori made a face. "I don't understand people sometimes."

"You and me both, kid,"

Shortly after the stove timer went off and Tori got up to check on the pizza. It looked just about perfect so she grabbed some oven mitts and took it out, setting it on the range. Mr. Vega grabbed a couple plates and set them on the table, doubling back for bottles of water. The cheese bubbled a little and stopped once the air had cooled it down a bit, and Tori scraped at the bottom with a spatula. Mr. Vega made his way in and grabbed the pizza cutter, slicing quick gashes from edge to edge. He transferred two slices on the spatula to Tori's plate and then did the same for his, grabbing two napkins on the way back to the table.

"This looks great, Tor."

"Yeah it does. Thanks for helping."

They sat and ate together, filling the spaces with light conversation about school and work. Tori finished her second piece and sat back in the chair, patting her stomach. Mr. Vega grabbed one more piece and chewed it down, winking at Tori when he finished. She smiled and got up, grabbing her plate and his and heading to the kitchen. All of the dishes got rinsed and put in the dishwasher, and Mr. Vega checked his watch.

"I should probably go sweetheart, your mom will be home soon."

"Okay dad. Thanks for coming over, I like getting to see you sometimes." She smiled and nudged his side with her elbow lightly.

"I promise you will see so much of me you'll be tellin' me to go home before you know it." He laughed and pulled his keys out of his pocket, heading for the door. "I love ya kid, always."

"Love you too, dad."

Jade pulled out of Tori's driveway and headed for the coffee shop. Unsure of what to do, some time wasted with a hot beverage was never a bad idea. Jenae was behind the counter reading a magazine when she got up there. Jade dinged the customer bell on the counter, smiling at her boss when she looked up.

"Jade, what's up? Couldn't stay away?" she joked, grabbing a cup from under the counter.

"I was hanging out with Tori but her dad stopped over for dinner so I left to give them some time alone."

"Well that was nice of you."

"Yeah. Now I don't have anything to do."

"Well I'd say you could hang out here but I wouldn't be able to pay ya."

"That's fine, I'll probably just call Beck and see what he's up to."

"You guys on good terms I take it?"

"Yeah, we've been best friends for years. Didn't want the breakup to affect that so we made an agreement to be cool about it."

"You're lucky, that doesn't happen often."

"I know, it's pretty cool."

"Well that one's on me today for your good deed with your girlfriend."

"Thanks." Jade smiled genuinely.

"You got it, girl. Now get out of here, go be a kid."

"Yes ma'am." Jade turned and walked away still smiling.

Once in the car she grabbed her phone and dialed Beck's number. It rang a few times and he answered in a tired voice.

"You sleeping?"

"I was just takin' a nap. What's up?"

"I'm bored."

"I'm sorry."

"Hang out with me, then."

"What do you wanna do?"

"I don't know. Let's go eat somewhere or go to the movies."

"How about we go to the movies and get popcorn and candy?"

"Sounds good to me. But I'm picking the movie."

"Really, Jade? Do we have to sit through another gorefest?"

"Yes we do little sis, now get ready. I'll be there in ten."

Jade arrived at Beck's place and he was already outside waiting. She pulled up to the curb and he walked over, slinking into the passenger seat.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

Beck looked tired. Not a just waking up tired, but a lot of hard nights and tough decisions tired. He smiled kindly but the purple under his eyes kept them from glinting like they used to. Jade returned the smile in kind and put the car in drive, turning back to the road. A pretty much straight shot to the theater got them there in twenty minutes. Jade bought two tickets for 'Death Certificate For A Beauty Queen," some dark psychological thriller about a murdered girl who possesses the winner of a pageant and makes her kill all of the losers. Beck got Popcorn and Milk Duds, and Jade got a large Coke with two straws.

They settled into their seats and watched the previews, laughing about some dramatic period film that Jade said looked like it would probably physically kill her if she had to watch. Beck shook his head softly and laughed, glad to be back in the company of the great Jade West. The previews ended and the lights dimmed, and to Jade's enjoyment there was a grisly death in the first five minutes. Her eyes lit up and she sat up straight, watching the screen with rapt attention. They watched kill after kill, sharing their snacks and laughing at some of the ridiculous deaths. By the end of the two hour movie Beck was kicked back with his feet up on the chair in front of him and Jade was leaned into his side, eating chocolate and laughing. The lights came back on as the credits rolled and the two of them stood up, discarding their trash on the way out of the cinema.

"That last kill with the tractor and the scarecrow was awesome." Jade recanted, smiling at every word.

"I liked the one at the school pool, when the chick got the chemicals thrown in her face."

Jade threw her head back in laughter, linking her arm in Beck's on the way back to the car. She checked her phone and realized she had a new message.

_Hey Jadey, we're coming back to the states for Christmas this year! I hope you're gonna be around, I have a ton of stuff for you. -Kait_

Jade smiled hard and set her phone in the cup holder.

"What's up?" Beck asked, looking at her questioningly.

"My cousin Kait is coming back from Switzerland for Christmas. I haven't seen her in years."

"That's cool. Maybe I'll get to meet her?"

"Possibly."And there it was. Jade was struck with the most amazing idea she'd ever come up with. She grabbed her phone and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Where are-"

"Stay here just a sec. I gotta make a phone call."

Beck waited in the car for a few minutes, watching Jade chat animatedly on the phone. He turned the key back and started some music, nodding along to it. He closed his eyes and listened while he waited, and shortly Jade got back in the car.

"Everything all right?"

"Yeah, it's good." Jade said, turning the car on with a permanent grin.

She drove them back to Beck's house and parked in the same spot on the curb. He unbuckled his seatbelt and reached over, pulling Jade into a hug. She patted his back and when he broke the hug she ran her fingers through his long hair, looking into his eyes.

"You sure you're okay Beck?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You just seem to be a little...different."

"People change, Jade. You should know that." He winked.

"I know. I guess it just feels weird not seeing you as full of light as you used to be."

"I'm workin' on it."

"Well you know where to find me if need be."

"Thanks." He knucked her chin lightly and got out, shutting the door behind him.

On the drive home Jade texted Tori at a red light. She asked how dinner went and what she did for the rest of the night, sending the message and putting the phone back in the cup holder. Her parents were home but thankfully they were occupied. Mr. West was reading the paper with his trusty drink in hand while Mrs. West was pouring over a stack of papers. Jade didn't say anything as she passed the living room and they didn't say anything to her. She headed into the kitchen and grabbed a banana and some vitamin water from the fridge before heading downstairs.

Her bag reminded her that she had some Math work to do, so after she changed into some comfier clothes she got her book out and cleared off the desk. The sun was going down, splaying purples and pinks and oranges across the sky. There wasn't a whole lot of work to do, but Jade figured it would be better to get it done now. It only took about an hour, and around the time she was finished a reply from Tori hit her phone.

_Dinner was good. We got to talk for a bit and hang out. After that I cleaned up and put in a movie, so I'm just laying here watching it._

_What are you watching?_

_The Bridges of Madison County. Don't judge me._

Jade laughed at the last message and set her phone aside, cleaning up the workspace. She put her book back in her bag and set it on the floor by the door, ready to go for morning. The wind blew the trees outside of her window, casting brilliant shadows on her walls. The TV sprang to life and Jade grabbed her trusty DVD case, looking for something to pass the time. She had gotten a new copy of 'Sound of my Voice' recently and absolutely loved it. Once that was in she grabbed her phone and dialed Tori's number, getting into bed.

"Hi."

"Hey babe."

"You had a good time with your dad?"

"Yeah. It was nice to see him."

"That's good. I wanted to give you guys some time together in private, I didn't want you to think I didn't want to be there or something."

"I figured, it's okay. Thanks for that. What did you do?"

"I called Beck and we went to the movies."

"That's cool. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, we watched a pretty sweet slasher and ate popcorn."

"Good. How is he?"

"He's...Well, he's workin' on it."

They both went silent for a minute, watching their respective screens. Tori let out an 'awwww!' and Jade laughed into the receiver.

"Don't laugh at me!"

"I'm not laughing at you, you're just cute."

"Well so are you."

"Don't I know it. Hey I got a text from my cousin Kait that I told you about. She said her family is coming back for Christmas this year."

"Really? That's awesome!"

"Yeah. I guess they still own that house."

"Well we'll have to go over there when they get here and hang out with her."

"Yeah we should. Well you know how much I hate talking on the phone, I just wanted..."

"Wanted what?"

Jade paused for a moment as she usually did when a deep sentiment came out. "I just wanted to hear your voice, that's all."

Tori smiled uncontrollably. "You're adorable and I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, goodnight."

Tori slept much better and woke up on time the next morning. While she was getting dressed her phone rang, and she picked it up realizing it was Cat.

"Hey Tori!"

"Hi Cat."

"We have a half day today, so I was wondering if you wanted to come over after school and help me out with my dress?"

"Sure Cat, but couldn't you have just asked me at school?"

"I _could _have, but this way I can come pick you up and you can save on gas."

Tori could hear Cat's smile over the phone. "You're so thoughtful. Yeah, I'd love to come hang out. I'll be ready in about twenty minutes."

"Okay I'll be right there."

Tori hung up and finished getting dressed, grabbing her phone and PearPod. Trina and Mrs. Vega were both downstairs and the smell of bacon made Tori's stomach growl. There was a stack of pancakes on the table and a big plate of bacon. Syrup, blueberries, orange juice. Tori walked over and sat down, looking up at her mom.

"What's all this?"

"I decided to take the day off, thought I'd make my girls breakfast."

"Well thanks mom."

Trina had finished and put her plate in the sink, walking with her eyes down on her phone. The doorbell rang and Mrs. Vega asked Trina to answer it, and she did without missing a beat of her text. Cat walked in and smiled at everyone.

"Hi!"

"Hi Cat." Tori and Mrs. Vega said at the same time.

"It smells great in here."

"Well sit down and eat something, there's plenty." Mrs. Vega motioned with a smile.

"Kaykay."

Cat and Tori ate and drank quietly, giving thumbs up to Tori's mom when she looked over. Tori checked The Slap on her phone with her free hand, seeing the post from Lane that it was a half day for teacher workshops again. Robbie and Rex had apparently got in a tussle at a restaurant the night before. Sinjin and Burf were working on lighting and sound for the Prom.

"I can't wait for you to see my dress design. It looks so pretty but it just needs a few adjustments."

"I'm happy to help." Tori smiled and downed her orange juice. "Thanks for breakfast mom. We're gonna head out. I'm riding with Cat since I'm going to her house after school cause it's a half day, but I should be home before dinner."

"Okay girls, have a good day."

Tori waved to Cat in the entryway at school and headed for her R&B Vocals class. Andre was sitting in his seat with a piece of music, erasing parts and writing new notes in. He looked up when she walked in and smiled, nodding his head hello.

"Hey chica."

"Hi Andre, what's up?"

"Just workin' on a song. How's everything with you?"

"Good. I'm good, Jade's good, my parents are good, Trina...well, she's Trina."

"Glad to hear it. I'm thinking of writing a duet part for this song on the chorus, think you might wanna sing it with me sometime?"

"Sure." She smiled at the thought of working with her best friend again.

"Cool, I'll work it out and let you know."

Class went by quickly. The half day was an excuse for everyone, teachers included, to kind of take it easy and not do any real work. Most teachers just let the kids study or talk quietly. When the bell rang for what would be lunch, everyone chatted excitedly about going home to go back to sleep. Tori ran into Jade at her locker, walking up behind and putting her arms around her waist.

"Hey Tor."

"Hey. What're you doin' today?"

"I have work at three but I'm free until then."

"I'm going over to Cat's house to help her with her dress and stuff. Wanna come?"

"Sure."

Jade's phone beeped and she checked it, immediately smiling hugely. She typed a speedy reply and put the phone in her pocket, bringing Tori into a proper hug.

"What was that about?"

"Oh, nothing. Just something with my cousin."

Cat came around the corner and beamed at the two of them. "Hey Tori! You ready?"

"Yeah. Jade's gonna follow us there and hang out until she has to go to work. Is that okay?"

"Sure! I love having people over."

Jade and Tori both smiled and headed out the door with Cat.

They settled in at Cat's house, stretching out onto the bed and the space by the window that Tori liked so much. Cat grabbed her dress and the material cart and wheeled it over to the desk, setting things out. Tori looked out the window and watched the world. A boy was running his paper route, throwing rolled up papers lazily onto sidewalks and in bushes. A woman was getting pulled by her dog on the other side, apparently not as enthusiastic about the walk as he was.

Cat stripped down to her underwear in the middle of the room and put her dress on. Jade helped her pin it in a couple spots and Tori grabbed the tape measure. They marked a few seams and measured out how much it needed to be taken in and where, then Cat took the dress off and put her regular clothes back on. Tori wrote the numbers down on a piece of paper and Cat grabbed the sewing machine, getting to work on the new seams. Jade grabbed Cat's laptop and was watching Youtube videos while Tori found some music on Cat's iPod. She set it on the dock and Mariah Carey started playing, and Cat smiled.

A couple of hours went by of the three of them hanging out, talking, listening to music. Cat put the finishing touches on her dress and modeled it for them. She looked like she should be going to the picture show.

"Cat you look amazing" Jade said, nodding her appreciation of the design.

"You really do. You look like you belong in stuff like that."

"You guys really like it? Yay!" Cat ran up to Tori and gave her a huge hug.

"Well girls this was fun but I have to go get ready for work."

Cat bounced over and gave Jade a big hug as well.

Tori pouted a little. "I wish you didn't have to go."

"Me too."

The three of them walked out to the driveway and exchanged hugs. Tori kissed Jade quickly on the lips and squeezed her hard. Jade inhaled a deep breath of Tori's perfume and rested there for a second, planting a soft kiss on her neck before she backed up. Jade winked and got in her car, starting it up and taking off. Cat and Tori got into Cat's car and took off as well.

Jade went home and changed into something warm. It wasn't particularly cold out, but standing out there for seven hours changes things, especially when the sun goes down. A thick but moveable hoodie and jeans were the best choice. She dressed and headed back up to the kitchen, coring an apple and bagging it before leaving. The stand was empty when she arrived. The door was unlocked but Jenae wasn't inside, and Jade looked around curiously. The bathroom door was closed so she walked over and knocked on it softly, but no one answered. A customer came to the window and Jade looked around once more with no sign of Jenae, so she walked up to the counter and took the order as usual.

After two whole hours her boss was still nowhere to be found. Jade held the store down like a champ, not messing up any orders at all and keeping everything in order. Finally Jenae came running up to the stand out of breath and practically burst in the side door.

"Oh god Jade I'm so sorry."

"Holy chiz Jenae, what's the matter?"

"Dom got sick at school and they told me I had to go get him and I couldn't find your paperwork with your phone number on it." She took a few deep breaths and slowed down. "I ran out of here in a hurry and went to the school, picked him up. I didn't want to bring him here to sit in the cold all day when he's sick, so I had to make a few phone calls to see if someone could watch him. The only person I could get a hold of was my brother but he couldn't get out of work for another couple of hours, so I had to wait at his office until he was ready. He took Dom to his house and I came straight back from there. I'm so sorry!"

"No way, nothing to be sorry for. The door was unlocked so I came in. I looked for you for a few but I didn't see you anywhere outside, then people started coming so I just went about business thinking you'd show up whenever you were finished."

"Thank you so much for covering for me. I owe you."

"Nonsense, it's my job."

Jenae smiled and took over the register for a little bit, and Jade busied herself with stocking the cups and lids. The day went by pretty quickly. The after work rush kept them busy for a couple hours, and the downtime at the end of the day was spent playing Mancala. Jade had never played before but Jenae taught her how, and she caught on quickly. They came up with a system so whenever they were both there at the same time, whoever was losing the current game would have to get up and take care of customers. Jade ended up getting up a lot in the beginning, but as she caught on it evened out.

The end of the night came and Jade punched out, which basically meant telling Jenae that she was leaving. It was a small store and Jenae was the only one that had ever worked there, so there was no need for an actual punch clock. They said their goodbyes and Jade hopped in the car, ready to go home and sleep. She went in through the side door and straight down to her room. When plugging her phone in she realized there was a voicemail, so she called and listened.

_Jade, I got your message. I'm okay with that, just let me know when and I'll take care of it. Looking forward to seeing you and your folks in couple months! Love you guys._

Jade beamed with excitement, not sure how she was going to be able to sleep.

Tori went inside after being dropped off by Cat. Her mom was watching TV in the living room. There were no case files or anything around, which was odd for her. Tori walked over and sat on the cushion next to her and snuggled in, and Mrs. Vega lifted her arm over her shoulders.

"Hey baby."

"Hi mom. How's your day?"

"Good. It's nice to relax a bit."

"Why the day off? Tired?"

"Yeah. Lots of built up stress lately, kinda wanted to get away from it all for a day or two and just have some me time. And family time, of course."

"Well that's good. You have so much sick time accumulated you could probably take a few months off."

"Four months and nine days, actually."

"Holy chiz!"

Mrs. Vega laughed. "I don't really take any time off, it adds up over time."

"I guess so."

They watched TV together for a while and Tori dozed off. She dreamt that Beck and Andre had kidnapped Jade and locked her up somewhere. Andre was with Tori and Beck was with Jade. Tori didn't know what was going on. She had tried to call Jade a dozen times but the phone never stopped ringing. Andre appeared out of nowhere and told Tori that she hadn't spent any time with him lately because she was so infatuated with Jade, and he held up his phone, showing Jade tied to a chair in another room somewhere. Beck said the same thing, and that it was really unfair of them to ignore their friends for each other. Tori tried telling Andre over and over that she didn't mean to ignore him, and that if he felt like she wasn't paying attention to him all he had to do was say something, but Andre didn't seem to hear her. She could hear Jade yelling at Beck to let her go in the video feed, but Beck killed the feed and the screen went black. Tori tried to wrestle the phone from Andre but he was too strong.

"Tori? Hey babe wake up."

Tori opened her eyes. She was at the other end of the couch, covered up with a blanket. Her mom was on her knees at the side of the couch, shaking her gently.

"Mom? What happened?"

"You fell asleep, and by the sounds of it it wasn't a very pleasant dream. You okay?"

"Yeah. It was really weird. Beck and Andre kidnapped Jade because they said we weren't spending enough time with them."

"Well, is that true?"

"I don't know. I mean, we all hang out together at school and stuff, and I don't really think our patterns have changed since we started dating."

"Sounds subconscious to me. Maybe you feel like you're ignoring them, not the other way around."

"I guess, I don't know. That was strange."

"You hungry? It's past dinner time."

"Sure."

Tori got up and folded the blanket, laying it over the back of the couch. She went into the kitchen with her mom and they made sandwiches with cold cuts and mayo. Tori ate slowly, still reeling a bit from her nightmare. Jade looked scared and Tori had no idea where she was in the video, which made it all the weirder.

"Oh, I didn't really get a chance to talk to you yesterday, but I had dinner with dad."

"Really? How was that?"

"It was good. He stopped by and we made pizza together."

"Well that sounds nice." Mrs. Vega's voice sounded polite but the look on her face said otherwise. Tori was nervous she had done a bad thing by mentioning it.

"Well, he didn't stay for too long. We cooked and hung out while we waited, then ate and then he had to go."

"That's all right, at least you got to spend some time together."

"Yeah, I was glad for that."

Tori finished her sandwich and threw her napkin in the trash. "Thanks mom. I think I'm gonna head up do some homework and probably go to bed."

"Okay hon, sweet dreams."

The only homework she had wasn't actually homework, it was just going over the edits to Andre's song she agreed to sing with him for R&B Vocals. She checked her email and it was all there, so she read it over and listened to the MP3 he had attached of the actual music. After listening it through twice, she hummed the syllables for the words to the beat, finding the best spots for rests and power vocals. She made little mental notes of times in the music for each opportunity and then practiced it fully once, keeping her voice soft and smooth. It felt good coming out and Tori smiled, knowing that her best friend was going to have a fantastic career one day.  
Her phone beeped and she opened the message mid strip, changing into pajamas for the night. Before she could read she had to set the phone down to keep from falling over when putting her pants on. The glow of the screen mixed with her lampshade and made a cool orangeish-pink color on the wall. After she got dressed she picked the phone back up to read the message.

_Just wanted to say hey before I go to bed. So, hey. Love you._

Tori closed her eyes and breathed deeply, smiling as she exhaled. Her bed beckoned and she obeyed, crawling in and switching on the TV to some random channel for background noise. It was a re-air of Dumb & Dumber, one of her other favorite movies. She watched the TV for a couple minutes, laughing at the scene and turning back to her phone to reply to Jade.

_I love you too. Hope you had a good night at work. Can't wait to see you tomorrow._

**A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter is kind of bunk like the last one. I've been feeling sort of crappy the last couple of days and have been trying to power through it. This chapter and the last one haven't really had a lot of action, and I apologize for that, but I promise it's leading up to something nice. I squeezed two days into this chapter since the next two are going to be the end. We're going to see some old faces and travel back a bit, so I hope everyone enjoys it. If you have anything on your mind, feel free to let me know. Thanks for reading!**


	16. Conversation Heart

The sound of a thunderstorm woke Jade up in the middle of the night. A big clap of thunder jarred her out of a dream, and when she opened her eyes her room lit up magnificently. Large bolts of lightning cracked the sky and shined brilliantly, lighting up everything in viewing distance. Jade leaned her head back on the pillow, but it was no use. She was awake and the dream she was enjoying had flittered away. The remote was on the bed next to her so she grabbed it and turned the TV on, hoping that maybe some late night talk show or something would put her back to sleep.

After two episode of I Love Lucy she was still wide awake. It was only four thirty, way too early to start getting ready. Rain pounded her window, creating a soft humming sound, but even that wasn't enough to lull her back to slumber. A quick check of her phone told Jade that she wasn't alone. Beck had updated his Slap profile saying the sound of the rain on his tin can of an RV was too loud for him to sleep, and he was just laying there watching TV same as her. She exited the browser and dialed Beck's number.

"Hey."

"Can't sleep?"

"Nah, thunder woke me up and I couldn't fall back."

"Same. What are you doin'?"

"Same as you, watching TV."

"Cool."

They sat there for a minute not saying anything, just watching TV and holding their phones to their ears.

"What are you watching?" Beck asked lazily.

"I Love Lucy. You?"

"Mythbusters."

"That one guy bugs me."

"I know." Beck laughed a little.

"I don't know, I guess I'm gonna get up and head to the stand or something for a little while, keep Jenae company until school starts."

"In the rain?"

"I have an umbrella, and there's a roof on the building."

"Okay. Be careful, people drive like idiots in bad weather."

"Thanks dad."

"I'll see you later."

"Kay, bye."

Jade hung up and got out of bed. It was still dark so the glow of the TV cast an eerie blueish white on everything. She dressed in a blue turtleneck with a black skirt and black leggings before heading into the bathroom. On the way out she grabbed her usual things as well as a large umbrella. Her parents were still sleeping so she went out the side door quietly, trying not to disturb them.

Jenae had just arrived at the stand before Jade got there, and they walked inside together. They shook out their umbrellas and set them against the wall in the bathroom.

"What are you doing here?" Jenae asked in a surprised tone.

"Couldn't sleep. The storm woke me up and then I was just awake."

"Ah. Came to hang out for a bit and keep me company?" She smiled brightly.

"Yep, until I have to leave for school."

"Not many kids want to work at all, much less hang out at their job with their boss when they aren't even on the clock."

"Well most people have crappy jobs and crappy bosses. I'm lucky."

They smiled at each other and started setting up for the day. Jenae started the coffee while Jade got out all the baskets that lay on the counter. She positioned them accordingly and made sure all the labels were straight.

"Hey Jade you wanna do me a favor and go across the street to that store, pick up some pastries?"

"Sure. What/how many do you need?"

"Just grab a couple of each. There's a display when you walk in to the right."

"Okay."

"Here's some cash, just bring back the receipt and change."

"Sure thing. Be right back."

Jade grabbed her umbrella out of the bathroom and opened it, heading out into the rain again. She crossed at the crosswalk and entered the store. There was a large but gentle looking man sitting behind the counter reading a book. He smiled at Jade when she came in, looking up only briefly before returning to his story. Jade found a box under the display and grabbed a couple of each type. Cream filled, iced, plain. The man at the counter put his book away when she approached the counter, standing up to greet her.

"How are we doin' this morning?"

"Good, you?"

"Hangin' in there."

"Four twenty four please."

He had a southern accent, and Jade assumed he wasn't originally from the area. Texas, maybe. She handed the man a ten dollar bill.

"Out of ten." He counted the money to himself and handed it to Jade. "Here's five and seventy six cents."

"Thanks." Jade smiled politely and grabbed her box. Normally she wouldn't be half that polite, especially that early in the morning. But this was a kind of business relationship, and she didn't want any kind of bad blood between the store and the coffee stand. "Can I have my receipt?"

"Sure. Here ya go, darlin'."

"Thanks. Have a good one."

"Always do."

Jade ran back across the street and set the box on the counter on the right end, her left. Jenae had a thing that the first customers of the day that bought at least two coffees got a free pastry, and according to her it was usually the same people. Jade sat back and got the Mancala board out, setting up for a game or two before the rush started. They got through a game and a half before the line started building up, and she put it away so she could pitch in.

"You don't have to help hon, you're not on the clock."

"I know, it's not a big deal to me. I'm not doing anything anyway. And I promise I won't sue you if I somehow mangle myself back here."

Jenae laughed and smiled softly. "You're a good kid. You'll make a hell of a career woman someday."

"Thanks."

A couple hours went by and Jade headed out, planning to go home and grab something to eat and get her stuff before heading in to school. Jenae thanked her for the help and returned to the counter. The walk back was a little better since the rain had let up and the wind was gone. When she got back Mr. West was just heading out the side door to his car.

"Where've you been?"

"Couldn't sleep, went in to work for a few hours."

His face was priceless. "Okay then. I'm heading in early, have a good day."

"You too."

Jade ate a quick bowl of cereal and put her bowl in the sink. Deciding it wouldn't make sense to hang around a quiet house she went into school early, arriving about thirty minutes before the bell. No one else was there yet so she resorted to wandering the halls aimlessly. The last time she had done this it didn't go so well. Times had changed, though, and Jade felt like she had grown a lot as a person, and Tori was to thank for that. Her other friends were too to an extent, being accepting about the whole situation and continuing on like nothing had changed. Jade was happy about that.

When coming back to the entrance she ran into Beck first. He looked like his normal self, shiny-eyed and glossy-haired. Jade knew better, though. He smiled at her when he came in and she walked up to him, glad to finally see someone she knew.

"How was the rest of your morning?" Jade asked.

"Was okay. Yours?"

"Good. Hung out at the stand, had a good time."

"Good."

Beck situated his locker and Jade watched, leaning up against the wall. Kids started flooding in around them and she figured it was about time to get ready for class, heading to her own locker. A couple guys came through the hallway, one of them strumming an acoustic guitar as they both sang. They walked casually and played, almost as if to give a little bit of a real life soundtrack for everyone. Jade tapped her foot to the beat and finished up, closing her locker. Tori appeared as she was walking towards the adjacent hallway, wearing a long white shirt that hugged her hips with a shorter red top over it, with light colored skinny jeans and some white and blue low tops. Jade scanned her over and smiled wickedly, appreciating her beauty and raw sex appeal.

Tori found a place to park and hopped out of the car. She yawned greedily, sucking in a deep breath of crisp air to wake herself up. The storm wasn't as bad in her area so she wasn't woken up by it. Two guys stood in front of the doors talking and Tori politely asked them to move, and they did, but not without generous glances at her figure. She kept her eyes down and walked inside quickly, almost running into Jade.

"Hey Tor. You look amazing today."

"Thanks" she replied, not making eye contact.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Just boys being boys."

"Did they say something to you?" Jade was irritated.

"No, just looking. It's okay though, I don't mind them being jealous of you." She winked softly and brought Jade into a hug.

Jade squeezed her hard. "Well I have my scissors just in case."

"I don't think that's necessary." Tori pecked Jade on the lips and headed for class.

Andre was in his usual spot, kicked back with his eyes closed. Tori instantly remembered her dream when she saw him, making her feel a little anxious. She sat down and put her bag down by her feet. Andre peeked out of one eye at the noise and smiled.

"Hey hey."

"Hi." Tori said a little weakly.

"What's up girl?" Andre opened his eyes and sat up straight.

"Do you..." She paused and took a deep breath. "Do you feel like I'm ignoring you?"

"When?" Andre asked, confused.

"Now. Before. Anytime."

"No, why do you ask?"

"Well I had a really weird dream yesterday that you and Beck were mad at me and Jade for spending all of our time together and ignoring you guys."

"Jade and Beck just went to the movies together last night."

"I know, but I guess I feel guilty about the group not hanging out as much. Or maybe we do and I'm just making things up in my head."

"I'd say the latter. Relax, you're fine. Everyone's cool with you guys being together and it hasn't caused any problems. There's a little readjusting anytime one of us starts seeing someone, so it's no big deal."

She felt much better hearing that. "Thanks Andre, I needed that. Speaking of which, who are you taking to Prom?"

Andre's face turned a little sour. "That girl from the Karaoke Dokie that I've been hanging out with bailed at the last minute. She texted me this morning and said she had to go somewhere with her parents."

"I'm sorry, that sucks."

"Yeah. Well, maybe since Jade can't go either, we could go together? As friends."

Tori smiled at the offer, knowing her best friend would always be there to try to bring her up. "I dunno, I mean I went dress shopping with Jade and tried stuff on together. It was a pretty intimate thing now that I think about it, we'd never done anything like that together before. I guess I just had my heart set on this idea of me and Jade dancing together. I wouldn't want to go with you and be a drag."

"It's cool, I understand." He smiled warmly to reassure her. "We should hang out then, watch a movie at your place."

"Sure, that sounds like fun. Is everyone else going to the dance?"

"Yeah. Beck got asked by about twenty different girls, so he finally picked one and said yes. Robbie asked Cat and surprisingly she said yes too."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" They both smiled and went silent as the teacher came in to start the class.

At lunch everyone had gone in on a full pizza from The Grub Truck, sharing it in a circle of chairs. Robbie argued with Rex about how costly his feet whitening sessions were becoming, until he finally told Rex to mind his own business and that he would spend his money on whatever he wanted. Beck was watching Cat go through images on her PearPad of her Prom dress, nodding appreciatively at the elegant design. She showed Andre gave the thumbs up, to which she beamed and bounced happily in her seat.

Tori looked at everyone and couldn't help but smile. Not very long ago she was brand new and didn't know anyone, scared to death of making new friends and trying to fit in in a school full of such talented kids. Now she had an entire group of the best friends anyone could ask for. Not to mention Jade, who went from hating her and ridiculing her every chance she got to sitting next to her holding hands at that very moment.

"You guys want to hang out after school? The whole group."

"I do!" Cat yelled, smiling hugely.

There was a smattering of 'sure's and 'okay's.

"We can hang out at my house" Cat offered. "My dad just got a new pool table in the game area."

"I got first game!" Beck called out, pointing at Andre.

"You know it" Andre replied, fist-bumping him.

The bell rang and everyone returned to class. Tori and Jade sat through Screenwriting and texted each other back and forth.

_Did I tell you you look really good today? -J_

_You did, but it doesn't hurt hearing it more than once. -T_

_I kinda want to take you to Walt's office right now. -J_

_Jade! Don't you dare rev me up in the middle of school. -T_

_Why not, babe? Vroom vroom. ;) -J_

Tori balled up a tiny piece of paper and threw it at Jade's shoulder. She looked back with a huge smile, winking at Tori for real. The rest of class went by without a hitch and they headed to Sikowitz' room again. Their eccentric yet favorite teacher was sitting cross-legged on the floor against the wall, apparently snoozing. Everyone walked in and sat in their seats, quietly watching him. He made no movement for several minutes, and one of the kids in the front row leaned forward to check if he was breathing. Sikowitz lurched forward and scared the kid who promptly screamed and ran clear out of the room. Sikowitz burst out into laughter and jumped up and down with glee.

"You see children, that is how you scare someone."

"Okay" Beck said, "but what does that have to do with today's lesson?"

"Nothing at all. I just like to have fun sometimes."

The group smiled and shook their heads slightly. Class passed by quickly as did Study Hall, and when the bell rang everyone met up in the entryway.

"We'll all meet at my place?" Cat asked, looking hopeful.

"Sure thing, little red." Andre said, ruffling her hair a bit.

"Yay!" Cat turned and ran out the front door without another word.

The back room that connected to the pool area was full of game stuff. A couple pinball machines, a hunting game and a pool table, along with a wet bar and a big flatscreen TV with a media center and game consoles. The walls were a pale blue and the floors were a light colored hardwood with a soft gloss finish. The south wall that led to the pool was mostly all glass, and the ceiling had a few skylights in it. The room felt very open and airy, and it was really comfortable.

The boys set up a game of billiards and Cat wandered off to find her PearPod dock. She returned a few minutes later and started some music low in the background. Jade stood behind Tori with her arms wrapped around her waist, chin rested on her shoulder. Tori leaned back into her head tilted to the side, arms over top of Jade's. She clasped their fingers together and Jade smiled, pulling Tori's waist back into pelvis a little. They swayed to the music and watched the boys play. Andre was winning by a few shots but it wasn't really competitive. Cat and Robbie hovered by a pinball machine, the latter watching as the former played, jumping up and down with giggles. Tori headed over to an oversized chair by the TV, sitting down and patting her lap. Jade sat and leaned against her, nuzzling into her neck. The group laughed and talked for a while, switching up games and getting drinks from the bar. It had old style root beer and cream soda, as well as typical stuff like Dr. Pepper and Sprite. Jade looked out the window and then turned her head to Cat.

"Is the hot tub set up?"

"Yeah."

"I wanna go in. Tori?"

"Uh, sure. If Cat's suits will fit us."

"We all are pretty close waist wise."

"Well, not all of us are close bust wise."

Andre and Beck both let out low chuckles until Jade yelled "can it!"

"My mom probably has one that would fit you. I'll go look."

Cat came back about five minutes later with three suits. She handed one to Tori and one to Jade, turning to head into the bathroom and change. The boys racked up another game and Robbie and Rex headed to the couch and switched on the Xbox 360.

"Kaykay, whoever's next can change."

"Hey Cat, where's your brother?" Robbie asked.

"He hasn't been home for a while, so I don't know."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"My parents told me he's okay and not to worry so I don't."

Everyone looked at each other and exchanged an inaudible understanding. Cat went outside with a towel wrapped around her shoulder and took the cover off the hot tub, setting it aside. The control panel had a bunch of small knobs and sliders on it, and Cat knew exactly which ones to hit. Almost instantly the water was bubbling furiously. She checked the clock on the wall and went back inside.

"It'll take about five minutes for the water to warm up."

They stood and watched the billiards game as each went in to the bathroom to change. Once everyone was ready they headed and dipped into the water quickly to get out of the cold air. A few shrieks of 'it's hot!' and everyone was comfortable, sitting in front of the jets. Tori had her arms stretched out over the back with her eyes closed. Jade was submerged all the way to her chin, and Cat laid back with her eyes closed. Jade's eyes glared with an evil intent and she reached over under the water, softly rubbing the inside of Tori's thigh. Tori sucked in a sharp breath but tried not to make it obvious. Jade smirked, eyes off in the distance of the view in Cat's backyard. She rubbed one spot for a minute and moved her hand higher up, getting closer and closer. Tori adjusted in her seat and stared at Jade out of her peripheral vision, wondering how far she would go. Right at the inside crease of where Tori's leg met her pelvis, Jade rested her hand, squeezing her fingers tight around Tori's thigh. She didn't move any further, but the look on Tori's face was priceless. Jade decided to stop torturing her and brought her arm back in, much to the simultaneous relief and dismay of Tori.

"Jade, your phone is going off." Beck had opened the sliding door and stuck his head out to give the notice.

"I better go see what's up in case it's Jenae."

Jade got out and toweled off her bottom half, wrapping it around her and heading inside. She grabbed her phone and checked the message.

"You in trouble?" Beck asked, grimacing when Andre sunk two shots in a row.

"I gotta make a phone call."

Jade went through the other door into the front entrance area of the house to make her call. Tori and Cat were still in the hot tub, soaking in the heat.

"So you and Robbie, huh?" Tori asked, smiling a bit.

"Yeah. I mean he's a sweet guy, so I figured it can't hurt. He's really nice and I didn't have a date, so I didn't see any reason to say no."

"That's great, Cat,"

Jade appeared a few minutes later and stepped back in, sighing thankfully for the warmth.

"Anything exciting?"

"Nope. Just my cousin updating me on their vacation plans."

"Cool. I hope you get to spend a lot of time with her when she's here."

"Me too."

A half hour went by and the girls got out, heeding the warning of not being in too long. They redressed one by one and sat down by the TV where Andre and Robbie were playing Madden. Cat's dad was a big football fan. According to her he had Raiders season tickets every year for one of the VIP boxes. The boys finished their game and everyone decided it was time to eat. Cat skipped out of the room and appeared a few minutes later, saying her dad would get pizza.

"I told him to get two meat lovers and two with just cheese. Is that okay?"

"Sounds good to me." Andre said.

"Kaykay."

They watched TV until the pizza came, setting it up on the bar so everyone could help themselves. Each nodded their appreciation at the gooey deliciousness, eating as much as they could. When everyone was stuffed and happy, the decision to break up and head home was mutual. They each took turns saying their goodbyes and hugging, thanking Cat for the hospitality. The boys all left and Tori and Jade stayed behind to help pick everything up. Cat consolidated the pizza that was left into one box and put the others outside by the trash can. Tori wrapped up the gaming controllers while Jade racked the pool balls and put the sticks back on rack. Afterward they too said goodbye to Cat and headed out to the driveway.

"I'm gonna head to my house and see how my mom is. She's been acting sort of funny lately and I've been a little worried about her."

"Everything okay?" Jade asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"I'm not sure. I hope so."

"Well after you see her send me a text and let me know so I'm not worrying."

"You're too good for me, you know that?" Tori leaned against Jade and they fall against her car.

Jade hugged back and smiled. "You have no idea how opposite that statement is."

They kissed a few times, lingering on the last one. Jade got in and waved as she backed out, and Tori headed home as well.

Everyone was home when Tori pulled into the driveway. She walked in through the front door and face first into a one-sided shouting match between her mom and sister.

"Come on mom, this is ridiculous."

"I'm sorry Trina, I don't have the money for that."

"This is my senior Prom. All of my friends are going, and you're going to deny me this."

"I'm not doing it on purpose, Trina. I promise." Mrs. Vega was very soft spoken, and her words had an edge of hurt to them.

"You have a job. It's not like dad was making all the money. Plus he's still giving you some isn't he? How can there not be money?"

"It's not that simple baby. All I can say is that it's just not there, and I'm sorry."

The tone in her voice broke Tori's heart, and the way her sister was acting made her hot with rage. Trina scoffed and stood there with a disgusted look on her face, texting away on her phone.

"If you want things so badly Trina, get a job and pay for them yourself."

Trina looked up from her phone slowly. "No one was talking to you, brat. Butt out."

"Just leave Trina. It's way more tolerable around here when you're gone."

"Fine. Bye." Trina finished her text and grabbed her purse, slamming the door behind her.

"What is her issue?" Tori asked, still fuming.

"Her friends are all going to Long Beach after the dance and getting hotel rooms, then going on a limo ride through the city."

"That's extravagant, if she wants things like that she should pay for them herself. That's not your job."

"I know sweetie, it's okay."

"No it's not. She's a spoiled brat and she has no right to treat you that way, especially with everything going on."

"Well that's why I have you. You've got your head on straight and you're more mature than probably anyone in the whole family."

"It's just I know how hard this is for me, so it's gotta be exponentially harder for you and I can't even imagine."

Mrs. Vega smiled strongly at Tori. "At least I know I raised one right."

Tori laughed and hugged her mom. "I ate at Cat's house, have you eaten?"

"No, I'm not really hungry. I had lunch at work."

"I'm gonna head upstairs and wind down a bit. I'll be in my room if you need anything."

"Okay dear."

Tori walked up the stairs slowly, examining her hands. They were sort of chapped from the wind when she was in the hot tub, so she ducked into her mom's room to grab the medicated lotion off of her bedside table. There was a shoebox on the bed and some papers around it. Tori rubbed some lotion into her hands and arms, glancing over at the contents. There were a few handwritten letters and some old photos she noticed were of her mom and dad when they were younger. She walked over and looked a little more closely. Some little odds and ends littered the bottom of the box. A stamp, a small plastic bag with a coin in it and a conversation heart that had faint remnants of the words 'I love you' on it. Tori ringed her hands out to dry the lotion and picked up one of the big pieces of paper next to the box. There was a legal stamping at the top and the page was full of small type. It wasn't really clear what the paper was for until her eyes landed on the header of the paper which read "Divorce Record Report."

Tori was devastated. She scanned the paper and found both of her parents names signed at the bottom, along with a line that declared the divorce final on the day both signatures appeared on the bottom. Her whole world came crashing down. Her dad had been gone for a couple of weeks, but she always assumed they would work it out in time. But this, this showed that it was really over. A love that had lasted over twenty years and produced two children, gone. She set the paper back where it was and ran into her room, shutting the door behind her. The feeling of loss and sadness overwhelmed all of her senses and she began to cry. All of the happenings of late started to make sense. Her mom being up in her room all the time. Staying home from work, baking all those treats to keep herself busy. Her dad coming over for dinner and conveniently ducking out before she got home from work. Saying that their jobs crossed paths and that's how he knew she wouldn't be home. The sadness turned into anger at them for keeping it from her. She knew it wasn't entirely rational, as her parents relationship was their own business and how they handled it wasn't up to their teenage daughter, but she was stung that they kept the severity hidden for so long. If she would have known about it sooner it probably wouldn't have come as such a shock. Tori wanted to run downstairs and hug her mom. Scream at her. Tell her she loved her. But she couldn't. Mrs. Vega hadn't brought up the subject when she was down there, which obviously meant she wasn't ready to talk about it yet, and Tori would respect that wish. She also thought back to what had happened with Trina. How she was yelling, and how her mom just responded calmly and apologized. Tori felt like her heart couldn't take anymore. Tears spilled over and over until her shirt was soaked. Not knowing how to deal with it she laid in bed and hugged her pillows, desperate for a sense of completeness. She felt like there was a glaring hole in her life now that wasn't there before. Even though her dad wasn't living at the house they were still technically a family. Not anymore. The feeling of loss was overwhelming, like the spot her family image had in her heart was peeled off and torn down the middle, then stuck back on. It was raw and it hurt. A burning sensation rose from her chest and into her mouth, like the feeling of too much hot sauce. She swallowed and tried to bite it back but it wasn't working. The thought of what Jade had said at Cat's house rose to the front of her mind and she grabbed her phone, dialing the number instead of texting since her eyes were blurry. It rang three times and then Jade answered.

"Hey."

"I need you."

"Are you okay?"

"No." She sobbed into the phone.

"I'll be there as fast as I can, I promise."

Tori dropped the phone onto her bed without saying anything else or even ending the call. She gripped her pillow tight and curled up into a ball, waiting for Jade to get there.

Jade headed towards a familiar location with a smile, hoping to find a familiar face. She passed the boardwalk and looked over brightly, remembering the beginnings of something beautiful. Her eyes drifted back to the road as she passed the boardwalk and her cousin's house, traveling steadily until she reached the corner store she had stopped at a couple weeks back. Pulling in, she smiled instantly, eyeing her mark. She parked and got out, walking over to the familiar man she'd dealt with before.

"Well if it isn't miss milky skin back again." The man smiled and turned to stand square to Jade.

"You guys are back at it I see?"

"Always. What can I do for you today, miss? Another one of them bottles for ya?"

The other men that were usually with him smiled and talked behind their hands again, most likely saying something about how she must want the guy because she's back again. She watched them talk and make faces while the man was in the store, shivering a bit at the wind. At last he came back out and handed her a brown bag with a bottle in it, and some change.

"Thanks. I don't even know your name."

"Most people call me Baba."

"Hmm. Well baba black sheep."

"If I didn't know any better I would say that was a racist remark."

Jade laughed softly. "Well Baba, thanks again for your assistance."

"You're welcome...?"

"Jade."

"Jade. Your name fits you."

"So I've been told. Well you can rest assured I'll be fine. I'm sure you didn't even actually watch the news last time I was here to see if I made it home alright."

"You bet your ass I did. I don't need no dead kids on my conscience."

"Then why do you keep helping me in the first place?"

"Well it's like you said. I had fun as a youngin' and someone had to help me."

"Payin' it forward."

"That's what's up."

"Well thanks again. I'm sure I'll see you again sometime." Jade smiled and turned back for her car.

Baba laughed. "Ya'll come back now, ya hear?" His southern accent made the group break out into riotous laughter and Jade couldn't help but laugh herself.

There really wasn't much left to do so Jade was headed to the coffee stand. She parked on the side of the road and walked up to the window, smiling when Jenae noticed her.

"Hey kid."

"Hey yourself."

"Coffee?"

"Sure."

Jenae grabbed a cup and made the order as usual. Jade got out two one dollar bills and when Jenae waved her off, she reached over the counter and pressed the cash out button on the register, sliding the money in and shutting the drawer.

"I'll write it in on the order slip tomorrow."

"You're a peach. What's up?"

"Not much. I hung out with my girlfriend and some friends earlier, ate pizza, went in the hot tub. Now I'm here."

"Not bad. Some Mancala perhaps?" Jenae waved her arms like a showroom model at the board.

"Sure."

Jade walked around and in through the side door, grabbing the spare chair and sliding it over to the table. The first game was hers, but the next two games were Jenae's. They were gonna go for a tie when Jade's phone rang. She shot up out of her chair at the sound of Tori's voice, then slammed the phone back in her pocket and headed for the door.

"I'm sorry I gotta go, my girlfriend is in trouble."

"Well good luck!" Jenae yelled as the side door slammed.

Jade drove as fast as she dared to Tori's house, watching for cops like a hawk. She pulled in the driveway and slammed the car into gear, leaving her keys in the ignition and not checking to make sure the door shut all the way. A couple quick knocks on the door and Mrs. Vega answered, alarmed at the look on Jade's face.

"Is Tori okay?"

"Yeah she's fine, what's the matter?"

"She called me and said I needed to come over."

"Oh. She's up in her room, you can head up."

"Thank you."

She ran up the stairs two at a time until she reached Tori's room, knocking softly before entering. Tori was laying on her bed, still in her clothes from the day. The lights were off and her bag was lazily thrown onto the floor. Jade shut the door behind her and walked over to the bed, climbing up gently as to not disturb her. She shook Tori's arm carefully and whispered to her.

"Tori? I'm here."

"Jade?"

"Yeah it's me. What's going on?"

Tori sniffled and rolled over, curling up against Jade's body. Jade wrapped her arms around and held her tight, confused but going with it. Tori sobbed into her chest, her whole body shaking.

"Tori?"

"My parents are getting a divorce."

Jade closed her eyes slowly. "Oh babe I'm so sorry."

"I don't know what to do."

"I don't think there's much you can do. They're adults and they have to do what's right for them."

"Yeah. It just sucks."

"I know. At least they're making progress. My parents still argue daily and probably don't even sleep in the same bed anymore. I know this is hard on you, but I'm here."

"I knew I could count on you to come if I called."

"What else am I gonna do?" She smiled into Tori's hair, inhaling the strawberry scent deeply.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep? I don't think I could handle it if you left right now."

Jade got up quickly and pulled the blankets down from under Tori, lifting them up and over. She crawled back in to her spot and covered them up, snuggling in. "I'm not going anywhere."

Tori fell asleep about forty five minutes later. They didn't talk, Jade just let her get it all out and she eventually cried herself to sleep. She knew Tori would have a headache in the morning, so she made a mental note to get up and grab some water from downstairs and set out a couple Aleve on her bedside table. For now she was exactly where she wanted and needed to be. It always seemed to Jade like the tables should be turned. She was the emotionally crippled one with the crazy parents and drama at home. Tori was the shining star of Hollywood Arts. This situation just further proved what everyone learned as they grew up; Not everything is quite as it seems.

**A/N: I've had this planned for a while now, as I'm sure some could see in the decline of Mrs. Vega. Divorce is a thing that sadly many kids have to deal with, and it's never easy or simple. A lot of times families are split apart and kids only see one of their parents most days. It's not an ideal situation, but it is ALWAYS more healthy than a home environment full of stress and domestic issues. That said, the next chapter will be the last. I have it mapped out and I'll start writing it tomorrow, and hopefully it'll be up this weekend. Thanks for reading! (Side note: To address the guest review that said the couch stuff from a couple chapters back was too much for them: The M tag is the M tag for a reason. My scenes are MUCH more tame than a lot of other peoples, so if my scene was uncomfortable or too much for you, you should probably stick to the T tag. Not trying to be rude or single you out, just some friendly advice.)**


	17. Last Dance For A Hundred Nobodies

Tori slept really restlessly. She kicked and turned and rolled over, making it so Jade couldn't sleep. She concentrated on the faint sound of wind whistling through the windowsill, making music out of it. The moon was full and it cast a lot of light. Tori curled up into a ball against Jade's chest, chirping out noises of unrest. Jade stroked her hair softly and a rhythmic motion, hoping it would calm her down. After a few hours she finally lay still, and Jade hoped she would get a little bit of rest before school.

Eventually the sun started rising. Beams of light coated the tree tops and the little pieces of rock in the cement gleaned brightly. Jade wiggled out of bed carefully and grabbed her purse, pulling out a travel tube of headache relief pills. She procured two of them and returned the tube and purse, getting up to fetch some water. Mrs. Vega was already awake and had a pot of coffee brewing.

"Morning Jade."

"Hey Mrs. V. I know I should have asked before I stayed but Tori wouldn't let me get up."

"What happened?" She looked concerned.

"The whole divorce thing shook her really hard. I got a phone call saying she needed me so I dropped everything and ran."

"Oh no." Mrs. Vega put down her coffee and ran her hands over her hair, stopping with them wrapped around the back of her neck.

"I don't understand." Jade said, looking confused.

"I hadn't told her yet. The papers just got signed yesterday, and they were on my bed along with an old box of mementos. She must've seen them."

"Ouch."

"I was really hoping to get David over here and talk to both of them at the same time about it."

"Well that cat's out of the bag I guess. Does Trina know?"

"Not unless Tori told her, which I doubt."

"You could still have the talk. In fact it would probably be a good idea."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Jade walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water out. "I'm taking this up for Tori. She had a rough night and I know she's gonna have a headache from hell."

"Thank you so much Jade. I really appreciate you being here for her."

"Nowhere else I'd rather be." She smiled politely and headed back upstairs.

Tori was still sleeping, breathing deep at regular intervals. Jade placed the pills and water on her table and looked for a piece of paper. She scribbled a quick note saying she'd gone home to shower and change for school, and that she would be back to pick her up. The room was quiet and Jade couldn't help but sit on the edge of the bed and watch Tori sleep. She looked peaceful finally, and the innocence in her face broke Jade's heart a bit. She knew when Tori woke up it would start all over, and wishing it would go away wouldn't help.

Mrs. Vega looked up from the counter when Jade reappeared.

"I'm gonna go home and get ready for school. I left Tori a note saying I'd be back to pick her up if she wants to go."

"Okay. Thanks again."

"Anytime."

The West house was calm and utterly the same. Jade's parents were sleeping so she slipped in quietly and headed for her room. It took about a half hour to get ready with hair and makeup, and afterward she picked up her room a bit. When it was sufficiently clean the thought of Tori waking up consumed her brain and she headed back to the car, stopping for a bagel in the kitchen. She tore the last piece of bagel apart with her teeth as she walked up to the Vega's front door, knocking softly.

Trina answered the door and scoffed at the site of her, stepping back inside without saying anything. Jade smiled and walked in behind her, nodding at Mrs. Vega.

"Has she woken up?"

"I don't think so hon, you can go check."

The door to Tori's room was closed over, and Jade pushed it open slowly to peek inside. The room was still dark so she figured Tori was still sleeping, walking in quietly to her side of the bed. She knelt down next to the table and tucked Tori's hair behind her ear, smiling sweetly when she opened her eyes.

"Hi."

"Hey sleepy. How do you feel?"

"Like I got hit with a baseball bat."

"I have some Aleve and water here for you."

Tori lifted her head and look at the table, spotting the items. "You're the best."

"I try. I came back to see if you wanted to go to school. I'll give you a ride or you can take the day off."

"No it's fine, I'll go."

"Well you better move it along, we only have a half hour until the bell."

Jade sat on the bed while Tori got up and headed for the bathroom. There wasn't enough time to shower so she just splashed some water on her face and got dressed, then put on a little eyeliner and lip gloss. The smells from downstairs made her stomach growl and Jade laughed at the noise, like a newborn puppy trying to growl like it's dad.

"You should probably grab some food on the way out."

"Yeah. I'm gonna take these and probably make some toast or something." She grabbed the two pills and swallowed them down with water, finishing the whole bottle in one go.

"Takes a lot out of you, doesn't it?"

"It really does."

They smiled at each other and Tori grabbed her stuff, following Jade through the door and downstairs. Trina had left and Mrs. Vega was in the kitchen cleaning up from breakfast. There were two plates on the table with eggs and bacon, and Jade felt elated at the sight.

"Come eat, girls."

"Thanks Mrs. Vega, I appreciate it." She really did.

"Thanks mom."

"You're welcome."

The food was welcome in both of their stomachs. Tori had a really high strung night that depleted all of her energy and Jade had eaten a dry bagel with no water that was just kind of sitting there. They finished quickly and slugged orange juice like they hadn't drank in days. Mrs. Vega came over and cleared the plates from the table, promptly getting them into the dishwasher.

"Alright mom, I'm gonna head to school."

"Kay baby, have a good day."

She walked over and wrapped her mom up in a hug, squeezing her tighter than she ever had before. Mrs. West looked over her shoulder at Jade. They made eye contact and Jade smiled weakly, understanding the position she was in.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

School was positively bustling. Dozens of students chatted excitedly about the night's activities. Who was going with whom, who was getting the longest stretch limo to party in. Groups clung to each other in all different parts of the hallways, comparing dress descriptions and suit colors. Tori's eyes flickered from one poster to the next. Multicolored paper with flashy text announcing the time of the dance. There was no king and queen, as most students didn't believe in the popularity contest at Hollywood Arts like they did in public schools. Tori was glad to hear about that. Too many girls had been devastated to lose or done dangerous things to win, and it was a bad thing to perpetuate.

Jade finished up at her locker about the same time Tori did. They walked to each other and Tori wrapped her up in a big hug, feeling the patterns of the last couple of days wash over in a sense of deja vu. Jade hummed softly in Tori's ear, twisting her hips from side to side to make them rock. Tori closed her eyes and escaped for a minute, enjoying the sense of security and warmth. The warning bell rang so they grudgingly separated, kissing slowly before heading off to class.

The hours dragged by painfully slowly. Tori couldn't concentrate on anything, and she constantly caught herself staring out the window. A few times she was scolded by her R&B Vocals teacher for not paying attention, but she couldn't bring herself to get the normal immersion into the lesson. Andre watched her carefully out of the corner of his eye, finally leaning over to whisper.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. It's too complicated to talk about in school."

"You and Jade okay?"

"Yeah we're fine, I'll tell you about it when you come over."

"About that. My date's back on, I didn't find out til real late and I didn't want to bug you."

"Oh. Okay, have fun at the dance." She smiled warmly but felt a little betrayed inside. It was childish to be upset since she wanted Andre to be happy, but they had planned on being the dynamic dateless duo, and now she was but one.

"Thanks Tor. We'll hang this weekend for sure."

Time continued to drag. Tori fell asleep for about twenty minutes in her Science class with her head down. She normally did really well in that class so her teacher wasn't very upset about it. The lines on her face from her sleeves itched a little when she woke up and she rubbed her hands on her cheeks gently. The lunch bell finally rang and the other kids sprang up, still full of energy and excitement. Tori got up gradually and slunked her way to the door.

"Miss Vega, can I have a word?"

"Yea. What's up?"

"You tell me. Anything wrong?"

"No, I just didn't get any sleep last night. I kept tossing and turning and it was really frustrating."

"Okay. You've always been a star student and you seem a little down and out today so I just wanted to check and see if there was anything I could help with."

Tori smiled at the sentiment from her teacher. It was nice to know the adults that said they cared actually did. "I appreciate that. I'm fine though, but if there's anything that comes up I'll let you know."

"Alright then. You're dismissed."

Tori headed to Sikowitz' room instead of getting something to eat. She wasn't very hungry, she just wanted Jade. Beck and Cat were there, eating pizza and talking away. Tori took her seat and Andre came in about the same time, but there was no sign of Jade.

"You guys seen Jade?"

"She got a text and said she had to leave. It was odd."

"Did she say she would be back?"

"Nope. It's weird though, she got a text the night we went to the movies and practically jumped out of the car to make a phone call."

"Then yesterday she left from the hot tub with her phone." Tori added, thinking.

"And now this? Something's up." Beck looked at Tori and shrugged his shoulders.

Jade had been ducking out making phone calls and secret texts for the last couple of days. What for? Tori sat back in her seat and chewed on her thumb, thinking about what could possibly be going on. Jade didn't really hang out with anyone other than the group, so she was pretty sure it wasn't her sneaking off with someone. But what else could it be?

"I don't know. I trust her though, so whatever it is it's her business."

"You're a good girlfriend, Tor." Beck smiled at her.

The Slap didn't give up any information when Tori checked it, hoping maybe Jade would have left a clue to what she was doing. But no, nothing was there. She looked at everyone's pages just for something to do, making random comments on stuff to fill up the time. The bell rang and she got up robotically, heading to Screenwriting without Jade.

About ten minutes into class Jade came flying through the door, panting hard.

"Sorry I'm late."

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Miss West."

Tori watched as Jade sat down and caught her breath, grabbing a notebook and pen from her bag. She didn't look back or try to signal her in any way, which made Tori kind of suspicious. Class went as usual and Tori took detailed notes to distract herself from her nagging thoughts. Occasionally she would see Jade turn her head just slightly so maybe she could see behind her, but they never made eye contact. They were given an assignment to read a screenplay and fix the mistakes in it that would be catastrophic from a Directorial point of view. Tori wrote down the title and stuffed her books away when the bell rang.

Sikowitz was sitting on the step in his classroom eating a bowl of tomato soup with oyster crackers when everyone filed in. He didn't look up from his bowl when they sat down, or when they started whispering about what he was doing. This went on for about ten minutes until he finished his soup, setting the bowl down next to him and picking up his coconut. He sipped on it gingerly and swayed back and forth, humming a little tune to himself.

"Uh, Sikowitz? What's goin' on?" Beck asked, watching with one eyebrow cocked.

He didn't move or even acknowledge they were there.

"Sikowitz? Are you having an aneurism or something?"

Robbie got up and walked over to him, sticking his face right up to Sikowitz'. Still, nothing, Eventually the other kids in the room just started talking about Prom again. Some took out their phones and texted people, others compared notes for other classes. Everyone got comfortable just hanging out and waiting for the bell, until Sikowitz stood up and faced the class like he was going to speak.

"Now class," he started, "that was a display of what we call 'zoning.'"

"What's that?" Tori asked.

"It's the ability to live in your own world despite what is going on around you. It comes in handy for actors particularly when one or more persons in a scene keep messing up, throwing off the atmosphere. If you aren't learned in zoning, when that happens you'll end up falling out of character and then everyone has to take five while they gather themselves. If you can control your own situation and learn to live in your character's world, you can tune out what happens around you and stick to the scene."

Everyone shook their heads in acceptance of this information.

"I have a behind the scenes video of the filming of an episode of Family Matters where Mr. Reginald VelJohnson shows remarkable zoning techniques. We're going to watch this and that will take the rest of our time for today."

Sikowitz popped the tape in and they watched, laughing at Urkel's hijinks. When the bell rang the scene wasn't quite over and the group stayed to watch the end, soaking up the information about the technique for future use.

Study Hall was the same as ever and it flew by quickly. Jade had snuggled in next to Tori and laid her head on her shoulder for most of the hour. Tori figured now wasn't the best time to inquire about what was going on with the phone calls, especially since Jade had to work right after school and she wouldn't be able to see her until the next afternoon. They instead sat in silence and flipped through a magazine together, laughing at goofy dresses and haircuts.

When it came time for school to end Tori was sad to see Jade go. They hugged for a long moment as they had that morning, and Tori wouldn't let go of Jade's belt loops.

"I'm sorry Tor, you know I'd love to stay with you."

"I know." she drawled. "Well have a good day. Stay warm. I might come see you or something."

"Well if you do text me first so I can tell you if it's not too busy."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you."

Jade headed straight to the stand instead of going home first. She parked and headed across the street to the store and grabbed a premade deli sandwich from the freezer and a bottle of Dr. Pepper. The same man was working from the other morning and he greeted her just as chipper.

"Hello darlin', good to see ya again."

"You too."

"How's it workin' at the coffee stand? You get cold out there?"

"Sometimes. The building blocks the wind though so it's not too bad."

"That's good."

Jade handed over the cash and received her change, stuffing it in her pocket at random. "Thanks, Bobby."

The man looked down at his nametag and smiled. "You got it, miss."

Jade walked in through the side door and saw Jenae playing a game with a little boy.

"Hey Jade, this is Dom."

"Hey Dom, nice sneakers."

"Thanks." He smiled wide and Jade could see he was missing a tooth.

"We're playing War."

"I like that one" Jade said, unwrapping her sandwich and setting it on the back counter. The sandwich had pepperoni, ham and swiss cheese on rye with a little bit of mayo. The energy was welcomed since eating in the morning actually makes you hungrier during the day, and if you don't continue by eating lunch you get tired. Three o'clock hit and the first customers of her shift came not long after, so she put her food down and began working.

"Hey Jade, you get everything set up?"

"Yep. It's all good to go. Just hoping I have enough time."

"I'll try my best, hon."

"Thanks."

A lot of times after she would help someone Jade liked to stand at the counter and watch the people scurrying about their day. You could see a lot of patterns in nature if you really paid attention to what you were looking at. Seeing the same people walk by at the same time on the same days. Dogs that stop and sniff the same trees on their walks. Kids playing the same game at the park day by day. It was both sad and refreshing to know that while people starved and died in wars overseas in the underdeveloped countries, life went by completely oblivious to it here. Jade wondered occasionally what it would be like to get out. Go to another country. See some real culture, real struggling by people that don't know anything different. It seemed crass to want to go see something like that just to return to her normal life in comfy California, but the urge to do something never really subsided. Maybe she could be some kind of aid worker in the future. Start her career and hopefully make a good salary. Put money away and then sometime take a long vacation and go to a country in need to help build wells or deliver vaccinations.

"Hey Jade, wanna play with me?" Dom asked from behind her, breaking her concentration.

"Sure little man, if your mama wants to take the window."

"No problem."

Jade sat down in her seat and Dom shuffled the cards, dropping a few but picking them back up and trying again. He set them up for a game of Go Fish and Jade smiled at his innocence.

"Do you have...a FOUR?" He yelled out the number.

"Go fish buddy." Jade said.

They went back and forth until Jade only had one card left and Dom had three. Jade played it conservatively, letting him win in the end by fibbing about what card she had. She dropped it face down on the pile Dom threw his arms up in victory, so Jade gathered the cards up quickly before he could discover her indiscretion. She looked over her shoulder at Jenae who was smiling at them, clearly elated that her new favorite employee and her favorite person in the whole world were getting along so well.

"Okay Dom, we gotta be at the school at six and it takes about an hour and half to get there around this time with the traffic, so we need to go."

"Oh man!" he cried, stomping to the bathroom to grab his jacket.

"You'll be okay?" Jenae asked, throwing her own around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm all set."

"Okay. You have my number in case you need to get a hold of me, and Paul's number is on the clipboard right there." She pointed to the spot of the wall with the whiteboard and clipboard full of papers and numbers. "If you need something quick it's better to call him since he's closer."

Dom came out and zipped his coat up, looking up at his mom.

"You go make sure you get signed up buddy, I want to come watch one of your games sometime."

"Really? That would be awesome!"

"Thanks Jade, I'll be back as soon as I can to help you out with that thing."

"Drive safe, don't do anything crazy just for me."

Jenae and Dom headed out and Jade kicked back in her chair, putting her arms above her head. It was peaceful and not too cold, so it wasn't really all that bad. She would rather have been with Tori of course. Not necessarily at the dance, since that wasn't Jade's thing, but she could handle pretty much anything with Tori there, especially when she was excited.

The day went on and customers came and went. Coffee here, espresso there. Some candy for the kids. One of Jade's favorite thing about the job was getting to see so many different people throughout the day. Hollywood's proverbial smorgasbord of race and religion, style and flair. Caffeine was truly a universal thing. Tea, cappuccino, espresso, whatever type or flavor you could want, and the selection really brought in a diverse crowd. The location was convenient as well, with the park behind them and the store across the street, as well as the bank right down the road. Jade stepped up to the window again and leaned forward on her arms, watching the people around her continue to live and thrive in their environment.

Tori got in the car and started for home, realizing she had nothing to do. The thought of going home and sitting on the couch by herself wasn't that great, especially since everyone else was going to be having the time of their lives that night with the dance and the parties. She figured if she was going to be a homebody, she might as well have something to do. The public library was really big and had a ton of books, so Tori decided to go there and see if she might be able to find something interesting to keep her occupied for the night.

The large glass doors of the Library led into a wide open checkout area with multiple lanes and barcode detectors. There were a few older women at the checkout lanes scanning books, and the far lane had a younger woman sorting through returns. The bathrooms and drinking fountains were straight ahead to the right, and past that was a coffee bar and reading area. The other side contained the Fiction section, which was the meat of the Library and where most people congregated. There was a large row of computers against one wall with a large glass window to see outside. The other side was rows of books with sturdy wooden tables at the end for researching and whatnot. The magazine section was a big glass room with doors located in the middle of the bottom floor. It was a quiet room, meaning you weren't allowed to ask people for recommendations or discuss anything in there. Downstairs was the kids' section. They had a reading room where kids could gather for storytime at a certain time everyday, and off of that was a Teen section, complete with bean bags and the like. Upstairs was a lot of reading space. Elegant black leather seats and glass tables spanned from one side to the other. Tori saw the sign for the Microfilm area and made a note to maybe check that out when she was done.

She headed for the Fiction section and started browsing at a random spot. After a few minutes her neck hurt from craning it to the side to check book titles. She rubbed it with her left hand and rolled her head back and forth, hoping to not get a headache. The search went on for about ten minutes until the title of one book caught her eye. 'Tomorrow When The War Began' by John Marsden. Tori picked up the book and read the synopsis. It sounded intriguing. Normally she didn't care for war type stuff, but since the story centered on teenagers it probably wouldn't be that tactically-inclined. She walked away satisfied with her choice and headed up to a counter with no line, smiling at the clerk.

"Good afternoon young lady."

"Hi."

"Just the one for you today?"

"Yes please."

"I'll take your card."

Tori handed her Library card over and the woman scanned it, then handed it back a second later.

"You're all set." She opened the book and stamped it, then slid the receipt into the front. "The book's due back next Saturday by eleven."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear."

Tori drove home and headed inside, grabbing some water from the fridge and a bag of Funions to start her reading session. She plopped down on the living room couch and laid back, opening to the first page. Reading about rural life another country made her think about what it would be like to get out of the city. How people raise animals and grow crops. The whole idea of being self sufficient was foreign to her living in the middle of one of the busiest places in the world. As she read on the idea intrigued her more and more, solidifying her choice in the book.

Each hour ticked by and Tori got more invested the story, constantly wanting to find out what was going to happen to the characters next. She was leaning towards a favorite of the main character since she was a strong woman. A normal girl, just like Tori, that had been thrown into something crazy. She didn't buckle under the pressure though, she rose to the challenge and persevered. But the fact that she also still thought about love and had relationship turmoil in her head showed that she was still a teenager, and the dynamic made Tori like her a lot.

About half way through the book Mrs. Vega came through the front door. She wasn't dressed in her work suit, but in normal clothes. She waved to Tori but didn't stay to talk, seeing that she was reading. Tori waved back and watched her head upstairs. She got back into the book and she was just reading about how the group was planting seeds at their campsite when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Jade.

_I want to see you when I get out, so don't fall asleep! Please?_

Tori smiled and opened a reply, careful not to lose her spot in the story.

_Of course. I'm reading a good book so I'll be awake when you get here._

The story continued and Tori couldn't help but thinking again about what it would be like to actually be one of them. The stress of inner city living replaced with the hard, back-breaking work of farming families. Raising your own meat, harvesting crops. Getting milk straight from the Cow and eggs straight from the Chicken. She was sure that it all sounded good now, but being in the situation would be something totally different. If given the chance she would like to see how it is for a while, but have the option to come back to her normal life.

The hours wore on and her stomach rumbled for food, but the story was too good and Tori ignored it. The sun was still there but low in the sky. Her natural light would be gone soon so she got up and turned the lights on, returning to her spot. There was a new plan in the book that made her excited, and she got a little annoyed when her phone went off again.

_Get dressed if you aren't, I'll be there in a few minutes. -Jade_

Tori checked the time, it was only...nine fifteen. Time flies when you're invested in something. She got up and ran upstairs to freshen up. While she was brushing her teeth, it occurred to her that Jade wasn't supposed to get out of work until ten, but it was only nine. She figured Jenae had let her off early for being cool about the whole dance thing. The clothes she had on were sort of wrinkled from laying on the couch so she changed shirts, putting on a snug blue Airheads t-shirt with tongues all over it and changed her jeans. She sprayed some fresh perfume on and headed back downstairs to wait for Jade.

The book was calling her name so Tori sat up in the same spot, getting back into it a bit until Jade knocked on the door.

"Come in!" she yelled, not getting up.

Jade walked in and stood by the door. "Get up skinny, we have to be somewhere."

"We do?" Tori asked questioningly, putting the book back down.

"Yes, we do. But we gotta go so let's go."

Tori ran upstairs and told her mom she was heading out and grabbed her jacket. Jade was still waiting by the door, smiling and kissing Tori lightly as she walked past. They got in the car and Jade turned the music back on, eyes on the road.

"Jade where are we-"

"Hush, we'll be there soon."

"If you say so."

Tori watched out the window as the sunset started throwing colors across the sky once more. A few bright pinks and purples towards the top with some burnt oranges and browns towards the bottom. They drove on and on and Tori tried to think of where they could be going, but she was clueless. They passed some familiar places and she kept track of them, trying to make a mental map in her head of what was around. Eventually they came to a light and Tori noticed the boardwalk where they'd had their first electrifying kiss. She thought maybe Jade was taking her there but she turned right, going along side it instead of to it. They drove for a couple minutes and Jade turned into a driveway, parking the car and turning the key off.

"Where are we?"

"Wait here for two minutes."

Jade got out and ran around the back side of the house. Tori thought hard about the day they had went back down to the boardwalk and Jade showed her pictures. She remembered her talking about her cousin, and then she remembered the house. They were at Kait's house. It made sense since Jade had told her Kait and her parents were coming back for Christmas. But why were they there now? Jade came around the corner and waved for Tori to follow her, so she got out and locked the doors.

She followed Jade around the side and up to a back deck. The stairs creaked slightly and when she reached the back door area she was speechless. The view of the ocean not even twenty yards away with birds swooping low and the sun shining brilliantly. The waves lapped at the shore in a continuous pattern, soft and slow.

"Come on." Jade said from behind her.

Tori turned around and headed inside the house after Jade. She immediately smelled something cooking and it made her mouth water. The house was beautiful. High ceilings and an open floor plan with pearl white tile flooring that was seamless. The lights were dimmed and the dining room table was set up for a dinner date. There was an intricate tablecloth draped over the dark mahogany table, hanging elegantly at the sides. Candles flickered and the lights bounced off the china set up in their places.

"Oh, I almost forgot" Jade said, running back outside. She came back a minute later with a brown paper bag and pulled a bottle of wine out of it. She set the wine on the table and headed into the kitchen to check on her meal. "Sit."

Tori sat in a seat and watched Jade work. She pulled a pot out of the oven and shut it off, followed by another pot and set them both on the stove. She closed the door and brought both pots to the table and set them on hot pads. Tori realized she had made spaghetti and meatballs, and it was in the oven staying warm until they got there. She couldn't do anything but stare open-mouthed at her girlfriend as she finished getting everything set up and uncorked the wine bottle. Jade poured out two glasses and then sat down in her own seat finally, smiling over at Tori.

"Jade..."

"Hey now. It's my fault you couldn't go to the dance. I know how much you wanted to go and you're too stubborn to go without me, so I figured I would do something nice for you."

"It's not your fault we couldn't go, it's your parent's fault."

"Well either way, it's because of my life that you were robbed of that experience so I wanted to make it right."

Jade reached across the table with an open hand, and Tori lifted hers up to hold it. "Jade, this is amazing. I can't even imagine how you pulled this off."

"Well, it was a bit of work. I got a message from Kait at the movies with Beck. When I realized they were coming home for Christmas, I figured they must be staying somewhere, so I asked her if they still owned this place. She said they did, and I got this idea. I called my uncle and asked him when they were going to turn the power on, and he said it wouldn't be until they came in December. So I asked if he could turn it on now and I would pay him for it. He asked why and when I told him my idea he said it was really nice and romantic, so he would cover it."

"So that's what the phone calls and stuff were then." Tori was relieved it all made sense.

"Yeah. When I took my phone away at Cat's house it was my uncle telling me the power was on. When I left school at lunch today and got back late, I was getting stuff from the store and setting up here. I talked to Jenae about it and she said she would try to get back as fast as possible to give me time to cook and go pick you up before it got late and you fell asleep."

Tori sat in amazement. "I can't believe you did all this for me."

"Well you deserve it with everything that's been going on."

"Me? What about you? In the past day alone you dropped everything to come to me when I said I needed you. Then you stayed the night with me and didn't get a wink of sleep cause I beat the hell of you, then you got up early and grabbed me water and headache medicine, brought me to school, went to work, came here and cooked and then came back to get me?"

"I guess when you put it all together it sounds good but it wasn't that spectacular."

"Well I for one am thoroughly impressed by this. I'm also starving, so let's eat."

They dug in and ate quickly. Tori savored the taste of the sauce. It was rich and full, and it coated her stomach in the best way. The meatballs were perfectly spiced and she speared one with her fork, biting off half of it and moaning her appreciation audibly.

"Do you like it?" Jade asked, looking a little nervous.

Tori couldn't believe she was actually nervous. Jade was one of the most confident people she'd ever known, but right now, in this moment, she was like a scared little kid waiting for praise from a teacher or parent.

"Jade, this is amazing. This food, this plan. You. I still don't even believe I deserve you."

"Well I think we deserve each other." Jade said plainly.

Tori took a drink of her wine. "This is pretty good. Where'd you get it?"

"Baba."

"Baba? Who's that?"

Jade smiled as she twirled some spaghetti around her fork. "Just a guy I know."

"You know some shady back alley guy that buys you alcohol? Why am I not surprised."

They both laughed and kept eating until they had their fill. Tori finished her glass and Jade stood up to pour them each another.  
"You tryin' to get me drunk little lady?"

"Trying? More like succeeding." Jade looked past Tori out the patio door. "Come with me."

They walked out onto the back patio as the stars started coming out across the sky. The purples and pinks from the sunset blended with the night sky and faded like a gradient. Jade walked over to the other side of the porch where her PearPod dock was plugged in. She searched for a song and started it. It was slow and sweet, almost melancholy. The sound of the waves complimented the song perfectly, and Tori felt like she could lose herself out there for hours. Jade checked her watch and stepped forward, holding her arm out to Tori.

"Right about now is the last dance at the Prom. So Tori," Jade bit her lip a little and smiled, "do you wanna dance with me?"

Tori teared up instantly and shook her head yes. Jade stepped forward and they embraced each other, fitting together as well as they always had. The song played and they swayed side to side gently, consuming each other emotionally. Tori spilled tears onto Jade's neck and gripped her tight, thankful for someone that made her feel whole in these times. Jade teared up herself, realizing how much she had grown over the past few weeks alone. She'd gone from the brooding, narcissistic introvert to a slowly blossoming flower, able to care for someone else as much as she had always secretly wanted to.

The nostalgic smell of the salt in the air and the stars shining above reflected the passion in both of them. The push and pull of the tide played to each of them individually, how they pushed and pulled each other to get to where they were in that very moment. Tori lifted her head and opened her wet, shining eyes. She stared right into Jade's electric blue pools, almost able to see the reflection of the tide in them. The energy in that moment could have been enough to power the entire city, and when it spilled over they embraced. Lips moving, tongues tapping and fingers raking over skin. If the first kiss they had was passionate she wasn't sure how to describe this one. All they both knew in that moment was that the stress of their everyday lives was gone for now, and they were together. The people at the dance could have their fun in their limo rides and their after parties, but Tori and Jade were both exactly where they wanted to be.

"You ready to go inside?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Jade led the way and Tori walked beside her hand in hand.

**A/N: Well, that's it folks. I hope that this ending was okay for those of you who were worried about a cliché. I like how it turned out. I didn't plan on having this done so soon but I started it earlier and it just flowed right out, finished the whole chapter from start to finish in about 3 hours. I've enjoyed living in this world for a little over a month, and I'm sad to see it go. But every story needs to end somewhere, and I wanted to end this on a good note instead of getting stale and boring. Thanks to everyone that stuck with me from the beginning, and special thanks to everyone that reviewed me time and time again. I appreciate all of you. I couldn't have had a better first story experience, and you can bet that I'll post more stuff soon. As always, thanks for reading!**

**PS - I made ebooks out of this story for people who would like to keep it on a reader of some sort. This zip file has a .mobi and a .epub in it, so it should be good for anyone. (I tested the .epub on my iPod Touch.) It's also the first time I've ever made an ebook so that was a new learning experience as well. Hope you guys enjoy!**

**dl DOT dropbox DOT com/u/4419170/nfgebook DOT zip**

**PPS: The chapters are all named after songs by my favorite band, The Six Parts Seven. I suggest you guys check them out as their music was my main inspiration for the story, and I always had it playing when I wrote.**


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